


Aftershocks

by Xenafox



Series: Beastverse [4]
Category: Tiger & Bunny
Genre: Animal Transformation, Drama, Established Relationship, M/M, Mental Breakdown, Mental Health Issues, Romance, Sequel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-21
Updated: 2014-01-21
Packaged: 2018-01-09 12:47:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 55,771
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1146170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Xenafox/pseuds/Xenafox
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is the sequel to Beauty and the Brat!</p><p>Kotetsu may not be trapped as a tiger in a tower anymore, and Maverick may be exposed - but all is not well. The city is still bouncing back from Maverick's twisted hands, and as Kotetsu and Barnaby struggle to figure out what is going on, they also further their relationship, learning about their love. Throughout it all, Barnaby suffers his own anxiety and depression and Kotetsu is his ultimate support.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Calm Before the Storm

Bliss was a feeling Kotetsu had known. He had known it quite a long time ago, but he still recognized the feeling. He knew the feeling of bliss, of joy, of pure happiness. They had been warm and wonderful feelings that he had never wanted to lose. They were feelings he hoped to always be surrounded by, something other people sought and not everyone found.

When Tomoe had died, he thought he lost it for sure. And over the years he thought he would never find it again.

When Tomoe had died, he had no wish to betray her memory. Dating someone would be doing exactly that, or so he felt. He wasn't particularly interested in anyone so the issue of betrayal never exactly came up, but he knew even if he found someone, he would feel wrong. There would have to be something pretty perfect about them for him to consider going back on his memories of Tomoe. 

He had truly felt no one would ever be as loving and wonderful for him as Tomoe. People like that didn't just walk into one's life every day. She happily strolled into his life once - and left. That was his chance to be with someone and it was gone forever.

Even if he hadn't bee into anyone over the years, he had cried himself to sleep some nights thinking he wouldn't have anyone to hold and kiss again. He just couldn't see it in his future and it was difficult to accept though he had to. 

“Uggghhh...why didn't you wake me up?” Barnaby asked, stumbling into the bathroom with a bad case of bedhead and red eyes from just waking up. He looked sleepy as hell. He'd been up late the night before, they both had, and when Kotetsu woke up strangely early, he let Barnaby sleep.

Barnaby was the chance he never thought he would get again. When they had met that day in the tower, even as Kotetsu picked him up and glared at him, he had known there was something special. That feeling only ever increased. 

And when it hit the point that Barnaby was freely cuddling with him, dancing with him, saying he liked him, Kotetsu had dreaded that feeling of betrayal.

It never came. 

How could it? He could practically hear Tomoe's approval. She would let him be with no one else; Barnaby was the one for him without her there and it didn't occur to him to mind. Barnaby was that perfect soul he thought would never come along again and sometimes he wondered if Tomoe had sent him. 

“I got up early. Just 'cause I couldn't sleep doesn't mean you shouldn't either. You need your rest, Bunny,” he told him as Barnaby wandered closer to him.

Barnaby stared at him. “But I don't like waking up and finding the other side of the bed empty.”

Kotetsu smiled and turned away from the mirror, where he had been shaving his beard into shape and letting his mind wander over the topic of his romance with Barnaby. He had, at times, wondered if he took advantage of the young man somehow. He knew that wasn't so. If Barnaby had anything other than real feelings for him, he would not be there, living in his apartment with him.

His was so trashed that he had avoided going back for days, weeks even, and even when he returned he only picked up a handful of important things to bring back to Barnaby's. He had never thought it was a good idea to move in with someone so soon, but that was his best option with all the chaos surrounding them in the city.

He wrapped his arms around his tired partner, hugging him tight and planting a kiss on his warm forehead. “I just needed to get up and move around, that's all. It gets hard to sit still sometimes.” Usually he loved to lay there and hold Barnaby before he woke up, but some mornings he got restless, especially when he heard sounds outside the building. 

There was always the chance they might be attacked where they lived, even though Barnaby's apartment was surrounded and protected day in and day out. Where ever Maverick was, they both knew Ourboros had it out for both Kotetsu and Barnaby for exposing their boss. 

Kotetsu couldn't imagine how Barnaby felt, he just couldn't. He was scared, stressed, and so on and so on, but Barnaby had been betrayed by someone who cared for him nearly his whole life, and he had no idea which of his memories were real.

He didn't bring up his memories much, but Kotetsu knew it bothered him. 

“If you can't sit still, wake me up, please.”

“No, I won't do that,” Kotetsu hushed him and squeezed him. Barnaby was so precious to him. “Don't argue, you. I will just keep saying no.” He ruffled his hair and let him go. 

Barnaby just looked tiredly at him. “Have you had your shower yet?”

“Mmm, no. I still think it's silly to shower before we get disgusting out there. Or in today's case...” Kotetsu cringed. “It's started to snow. We'll be cold and hating life at the end of the day, we'll want to warm up.” 

“We can do that in a bed,” Barnaby stated simply and walked behind Kotetsu to start the shower water. They were lucky that Barnaby's shower just happened to be huge...and even had a seat...because they loved their showers together.

“Yes but we'll still be sweaty and...stuff.” He heard the water turn on and put away his razor, which he had set down moments before Barnaby had some in. 

Barnaby tested the water. “That's if we go out. Kotetsu, we've done paperwork and some investigative work the last few days...we haven't left the office. Ouroboros may be planning something, I'm sure they are, but it's probably not something that will happen today. ...That's kind of terrifying, but regardless, I don't see us going out and getting any action today.”

Kotetsu frowned, because that was true. Even everyday crime rate had gone down, taking an overall dive. Kotetsu wanted to be optimistic about it but he knew better. Criminals and low-lives all over were probably obeying Ouroboros, or standing by to see what the next move would be. No one wanted to step on the gang's toes. 

Everyone was scared of them.

Kotetsu just wanted it all to go back to normal. He wanted to not wake up afraid. He wanted people in the city to feel safe. He wanted peace.

...He wanted to be able to travel outside the city and see his daughter, whom he missed dearly. All they could do was video calls, and he was always very short and careful with those because someone could be eavesdropping. It could be someone all too willing to hurt his little girl. 

Kotetsu shook it off, again letting his focus and attention settle on Barnaby, who had started to strip. Now, that was a distraction that Kotetsu was absolutely okay with! He just watched as Barnaby moved, eyes tracing his body, his muscles, thinking about how soft he felt under his fingers.

What a privilege it was to know and love Barnaby, and to have Barnaby love him back. Kotetsu was a lost man, or had been, and remained not even fully human with his furry tiger tail and strange eyes. His stripes, too, but Barnaby found those incredibly sexy and Kotetsu sort of understood it. 

Other than that, he was an older man with a lot of baggage, and for that young man to trust him so much...

Barnaby dropped his clothes, then bent down to pick them up and neatly place them in the tall black hamper. He gave Kotetsu a meaningful look and stepped into the shower spray. 

If there was one look Kotetsu was familiar with, it was that one. It was that look that demanded his presence and demanded his affections. It was a look Kotetsu could never say no to, and he stripped himself of his clothing, leaving it as a pile on the floor. Let Barnaby give him a glare after they were finished, if he even cared. Their showers always ended nicely and Barnaby couldn't bring himself to lecture Kotetsu. 

Sometimes, during their evening showers, Barnaby was left in such a shape that his legs were too weak to carry him to bed for the night. Kotetsu would gladly light up and scoop him up, holding him close until he could lay him down on the bed. 

Life really could be perfect with Barnaby, and Kotetsu would never understand how he got so damn lucky.

\---------

“I'm really tired of paperwork,” Kotetsu complained loudly to Antonio. They were in the gym doing absolutely nothing while every other hero was working out. 

“Then lift weights,” Antonio responded and took a swig from his big green and gold colored water bottle. He was sweating quite a bit from his own workout, and only talking to Kotetsu because he needed a breather. 

Kotetsu looked around and shrugged. “Eh, maybe. I'm just not motivated, you know? Ouroboros is out there and I can't get home, and, yanno, it's just aggravating. I don't want to be lifting weights or filling out papers when I could be doing something better.” His tail twitched and bounced in agitation, and he saw Antonio watching it. His best friend was still not used to the addition, not that it really seemed to bother him. It was just new. 

He looked way from his tail after a few seconds and made eye contact with Kotetsu. Then he frowned. “Yea, yea, I know what you mean. You at least get to talk to them, right?”

“Who, my mom, and Kaede?”

“And that brother of yours.”

“I do.” Kotetsu shook his head. “It's not enough. I miss Kaede. I haven't seen her in a while, but after being through what I went through...well, you wanna see people.”

“And yet, you haven't made any time to go have drinks with me,” Antonio grumbled and crossed his arms. It was true. Kotetsu may have thought a lot about his new-found appreciation for his family and friends, may have learned to value them more because he could be taken from them again at any time...but he hadn't done anything with Antonio.

He had honest reasons. His new relationship with Barnaby was part of it. It was hard not to be around him whenever he could. But the problems in the city were the other part of it. Was it safe to go out celebrating with Antonio? Was it safe for him to be drunk in a crowd of strangers? Kotetsu had only done exactly what he needed to each day before going back to Barnaby's. He didn't know where was safe and as badly as he wanted to do something, he couldn't start on it without knowing where. Putting himself in harm's way would only make Barnaby extremely angry. 

It hadn't happened yet, but at the mere suggestion of being in danger, Barnaby had been very unhappy with him and shaken for the rest of the day. 

“Sorry,” Kotetsu finally said, aware he had fallen silent. “I just don't think I should be going out to bars right now, with everything going on.”

“I understand.” Antonio took another drink of water. “How about I come over sometime, then? You'll be safe in your own home, and have Barnaby there with you so you can smooch him up all you like. I don't want to see it constantly, but you can do that.” He sounded a little grossed out.

Kotetsu laughed. He knew it had to do with watching a couple be all over each other, not the fact he was with another man. Antonio wasn't gay, he wasn't even bisexual, but he didn't have an issue with it. “Well, maybe. I'll have to talk to Bunny about it,” he told him, but he was sure Barnaby wouldn't mind. “As long as I can give him his cuddles, I doubt he'll mind.”

Antonio rolled his eyes. “I'm sure.”

\-------------------------------

There was quite a bit to juggle in his new life.

There was his new relationship, and getting used to the hero world again. There was living in danger. There was seeing his friend Antonio, and talking to him again, rebuilding their friendship. It had never gone away, but they had lost time and some bonding was needed. 

There was also, well, there was also being who and what he was. He was the freak, the circus show, the part-animal gay man dating the young hot shot, and even if he mostly heard positive things, there were still jeers and sometimes there was still hate mail. It hurt. He tried not to let it get to him, but it hurt. 

“How do you know he won't attack you?” someone asked Barnaby as they exited the office one day. More questions followed, they always did. 

“Does this mean you're into bestiality?”

“Do you do kinky things with his tail?”

“Were you a kidnap victim forced to fall in love with his captor?”

“Did you like him more as a tiger?”

“Is Wild Tiger making you more popular, or do you think he's using you to make his name bigger?”

Barnaby never graced those people with any sort of answer. He would stare them down and then silently walk away. Kotetsu would follow and refrain from flipping anyone off even though he wanted to. Hell, he wanted to punch some of those assholes in the face, but that wouldn't exactly work well for him. 

He tried not to show when it got to him, but when he slipped up, Barnaby always prodded. Barnaby broke down his walls in a loving but firm manner. Firm, just like Tomoe used to be. It was something Kotetsu liked in a partner and he could be poked into talking about what was wrong if Barnaby was persistent enough. 

“Are you thinking about what they said today?” Barnaby asked him, sitting on the couch with Kotetsu's head in his lap. His fingers raked gently through Kotetsu's messy hair and Kotetsu couldn't help the loud purr he had responded with. 

“Hard not to.” After the gym and talking to Antonio, Kotetsu caught a talk show while he ran on some easy setting on the treadmill. The host was kidding around, making dumb jokes, but when it came to 'Wild Tiger's animal habits', things got insulting. A giant litter box was just one of the items covered, along with licking his ass and wondering if he yowled like a cat in heat when he was horny for Barnaby.

Barnaby had found it irritating, but that was it. Kotetsu knew he should feel the same way but he didn't like the way people viewed him, and especially the judgments they must pass on Barnaby on his behalf. He didn't like the gay catboy jokes, and he didn't enjoy being referred to as a dirty old man.

Before he had been transformed, he had been sad about the way people viewed him as a useless, old washed-up hero. It was incredibly depressing, but it didn't anger him as much as the negative attention he had started to get, and Barnaby was the difference there. Before, it only affected Kotetsu.

But to have anything bad come down on Barnaby? He wasn't okay with that. 

“You need to stop thinking about it Kotetsu. It's just dumb jokes. Those talk show hosts pick at everything, so of course they'll pick on you.”

Kotetsu just growled.

“I'm not saying it's okay.”

“I know,” Kotetsu mumbled, nodding against his stomach. “I just don't like this coming back on you. You have your own worries, you have your own stress.”

“I do, but I can deal with this. Dealing with it means I'm not alone, it means I have you,” he said, continuing to stroke his head in that careful and wonderful way of his. Ah, Kotetsu was lucky. 

He also didn't know what to say back. He rarely did. Barnaby was his savior. “I get it, I get it. ...I guess I'm just not used to the changes.”

“Understandable.”

“I'm not, Bunny, I'm sorry. I know negative press, it's happened to me before, but this is so...so...” he sighed, not proud of what he was about to say. “There have been times I wish we could have stayed in that tower, just you and me. I mean, I'd want to be human, but we could keep away from everyone and their stupid questions and...”

“I would have liked that,” Barnaby said quietly. “I have no one to come back to, anymore.”

“Bunny...”

“But you deserved to be free and happy and have a bigger chance at life. And you still deserve that, so I'm glad we're not there even if it may have been simpler.”

Kotetsu nuzzled his face against him, the warmth of his body keeping away the chills that night. “I guess. Geez. What did I do to deserve you in this life?”

“I should be asking you the same thing,” Barnaby said as he scratched his head. “I don't know where I'd be now, especially when I get lost in a memory I can't recall.”

“Well, let's not think about it, okay?” Kotetsu said quickly, knowing neither of them needed their minds to travel down any shadowed paths. 

There was a pause, and then Barnaby agreed. “Alright. That's a good idea. Please just relax now, I want you to feel good...”

“With you here, I feel amazing,” Kotetsu assured him. His mind wasn't at peace but he wasn't lying. He felt so great there with Barnaby. He hoped he could always stay there with him. “Oh,” he said, finally remembering, “Antonio would like to come over for drinks at some point.”

Barnaby immediately stiffened. “Um...”

“He has been my best friend for years...please? I think maybe it would be good for me, and I can't safely go to a bar with him right now, the way things are. And um...well...”

“Well?”

“You should get to know him, too. He is a close friend...”

“But I don't-”

“And you'll be in my life for...a very long time, so you should really know my friends, and family when I go out to see them.”

“Oh.” He could see Barnaby's face relaxing, even though he wasn't even looking at him. “Oh,” Barnaby repeated, and that meant he was blushing too. “Um, yes, I plan to be in your life as long as I possibly...”

“Sssshh. I know.”

“...Okay. Yes. Invite him over, please.” The hesitation was still clear in Barnaby's voice, but they were making progress.

Kotetsu felt good about it. 

 

\----

“So this is where you two spend all your time,” Antonio commented as he entered the apartment, looking around and brushing some snow off of his jacket. It was coming down lightly outside and Kotetsu was glad they had spent most of the day inside, warm and cozy on the couch working from home. 

And cuddling. Always cuddling. 

He nodded and pointed to a hook on the wall next to the door for Antonio to hang up his coat. “Uh huh. When I first came here it was so, so empty, can you believe that? I mean, he didn't have a nice kitchen table and chairs, he didn't have a couch and he didn't have a proper coffee table, he didn't have a desk here in the living room...” Kotetsu remembered when he first got there, and how strange it had been to walk in and see...a chair. He knew Barnaby wasn't one for material things, but it still astounded him that someone could have so little and be so comfortable. 

Barnaby didn't chime in, sitting on the couch on his laptop. He barely looked up, which worried Kotetsu. He wanted him to be friendly and open with his friend at least somewhat, but Barnaby was still so withdrawn...

Antonio shook a paper bag in Kotetsu's face. “I brought tequila. I hope that's okay, I'm not sure what you have here.”

“That works!” Kotetsu said, taking the bag so Antonio could take off his shoes. “We have a fairly well-stocked liquor cabinet, but no tequila.”

Antonio paused, looked up at him, snorted, and then worked on his shoes some more.

If Kotetsu had his tiger ears, they would have twitched in confusion. He looked down at Antonio. “What? Is it weird that I still drink or something...?” He had drank far too much before becoming a tiger, as he felt his usefulness decline. Antonio had commented on it...but still always invited him to the bar when they had time. 

“No, it's the fact that you said 'we'.”

“Uh, er, okay.”

“I just wondered if I would ever hear that again from you. And in the way you mean it, like you've already set up a home with someone, and started a life with them.” 

Kotetsu looked around his warm home. It wasn't really 'his'. But, he realized, it was very quickly becoming 'theirs'. He had paid for some of he furniture, despite Barnaby's insistence that he just buy everything and treat Kotetsu. He functioned in a shared home every day, woke up next to someone each morning and planned around him. 

It wasn't like he had never thought about it but, it didn't often occur to him how he'd only known Barnaby around two months, and the way everything had ended up it was definitely like they were already a couple going long-term. 

And it shocked him how okay he was with it. Kotetsu usually liked to get to know someone for a long time first. He supposed circumstances did matter. Most couples didn't start out the way they did. ...Most couples both started out human, for example. 

“I guess I have...” he finally told Antonio, who was giving him a worried look. 

“It's good to see, Kotetsu.”

Kotetsu just nodded, and then beckoned for him to come in more. He didn't want to get into emotional things. “Well, come in, come in! Bunny!” he said, turning around. “You ready?”

Barnaby looked up and Kotetsu could see anxiety written all over his handsome features. “Uh...”

“C'mon, you know Antonio. How about you shut down your computer, and I'll go get you some wine?” he offered, and Barnaby nodded, looking at him nervously. Kotetsu smiled and turned back to Antonio. “Make yourself comfortable, I'll go get glasses and some other drinks.”

Then he went to the kitchen. He knew leaving the two alone would be awkward, but one thing he was trying to do was get Barnaby to be a little more social without him always having to hold his hand. He loved him dearly and would help him as much as he could, but as alone as Barnaby had always tried to be, there were some areas where he still needed to be a little more independent. 

Kotetsu supposed they might never know if Barnaby used to be social or what, because it was a very real possibility that Maverick had played with his mind to isolate him. Kotetsu was pretty sure that was what happened. Barnaby was a sweet person who had been very cold to everyone, including him, for a while. 

It just wasn't him, at least not entirely. It was someone else pulling the strings. 

That was a tough obstacle they would have to overcome. Barnaby had to learn more about who he truly was. As he remembered more and was able to take actions without Maverick over his shoulder, they would get there. It would be stressful but Kotetsu would be there every step of the way.

He knew the more they uncovered about Barnaby, the more he would love him.

He returned to the living room with the wine and a glass for it, which he poured and placed on the coffee table before returning to the kitchen quickly to retrieve shot glasses, vodka and whiskey, and chasers for himself and Antonio. 

And then they all made themselves comfortable, Antonio on the chair, and Kotetsu and Barnaby on the couch. Kotetsu and Antonio made a brief air toast before each taking shots of whiskey, which made Kotetsu cough.

The burn was good though, and Kotetsu leaned back against the couch while Barnaby sipped his wine. “Aaahhh, I feel good!” he declared as his tail gave a casual flick. 

“Me too. I'm glad we're doing this Kotetsu,” Antonio said, already pouring another shot. “Haven't gotten to spend time with the both of you. And I haven't gotten to ask you much about your little...experience.”

Oh no. Kotetsu cringed, even though he didn't really mind. He was about to get questions about being a tiger. 

“So how did you even get used to that?”? Antonio asked him.

Kotetsu laughed. “I'm not really sure. It was like an assault on the senses, everything was heightened, and I was more powerful, but in a different body...I dunno. I remember just doing nothing for the first couple of days because I was creeped out and had no idea how to handle it. Got used to it fast enough though. Walking on all fours isn't too hard, and it doesn't take too long to control your hearing and vision to the point it's not overwhelming.”

“Why the tower?”

“Eh...needed somewhere safe no one would look. They were ready to kill me!”

“They'd never have been able to overpower you,” Antonio commented and took a second shot.

“Antonio, they had guns.”

Both men laughed and Barnaby looked at them as if they had said the dumbest thing in the world. Of course he didn't find the idea of Kotetsu getting hurt to be funny. 

“Sorry, Bunny,” Kotetsu said and leaned over to kiss his cheek. Barnaby immediately flushed red. “Well anyway, it was a strange and lonely experience. I wanted to help people...but needed to be careful about being seen, you know?”

“I bet. I wish you had contacted me somehow though!”

Kotetsu shook his head. “How was I supposed to do that?”

“I don't know, but I'm sure you could have found a way.”

“I had bad eyes on me, Antonio. Even if I had crawled to your place in the shadows, I could not have survived. And they may have targeted you too.”

Antonio waved a hand. “I'd have been fine Kotetsu, c'mon.”

“Wasn't willing to take that chance.”

“But you didn't even have anyone to talk to, I mean, that has to have sucked, even though you hid from talking to people most of the time anyway,” he said with a meaningful glare.

Kotetsu laughed nervously. “Yea, well...anyway, it was for a few weeks, but it was still so surreal that the loneliness wasn't so bad. And even then it only got bad for a week or so before a certain someone showed up,” he said, nudging Barnaby gently. 

Barnaby looked up as both men looked at him, obviously expecting him to speak. “Uh, yes, that's when I showed up and stayed over, I guess...” 

“You guess.” Antonio laughed. “Barnaby, we never knew what to think about your 'investigation'. I thought you got cold feet for a while. You were so strange on the phone!”

“Cold feet?” Barnaby frowned.

“Sure. You came off as a hero who didn't take his job seriously, you know? Never around, always focused on 'something else'...no one really knew quite what to think about it. Maverick was getting so touchy, but that makes sense now.”

“He was?” Barnaby asked, finally showing interest. 

Antonio nodded. “He seemed a little rattled and concerned. He seemed distracted. He must have known you found Kotetsu and was not happy. Wonder if he realized you had a crush on him too,” Antonio said with a snort.

Barnaby sipped at his wine, drinking it a little fast, Kotetsu noticed. “He wanted me to have tea or coffee with him...and I think he was trying to drug me. I think he would have taken Kotetsu away and left him missing for even longer.”

“Did you ever have any idea he was a bad guy?” Antonio asked, and Kotetsu wasn't sure he approved of that question. He didn't want Barnaby too stressed out. 

Barnaby shook his head. “Never. He was family to me. He raised me after my parents were shot by...by...”

“By him.” Kotetsu put an arm around Barnaby. “It was quite a shock.”

Antonio was quiet for a minute, no doubt realizing his interrogating was going down a bit of an uncomfortable path for everyone in the room. “I can...imagine.”

“I don't know what I would have done without Kotetsu,” Barnaby said and Kotetsu was a little surprised to hear him say something so honest and even a little vulnerable. “I would have been lost. I can't even contact my Aunt Samantha, the woman who took care of me when I was a child. She was my only other family.”

Kotetsu knew he was all Barnaby had, but it still made him sad when they touched on that fact. He hated that Barnaby was so alone in the world. 

He hated Maverick. 

“Then I'm happy you found Kotetsu,” Antonio said, raising his now empty shot glass. “And I'm happy he found you. My man was pretty depressed for a while. This is the most I've seen him smile in a very long time.”

It was Kotetsu's turn to blush. “Oh stop,” he mumbled, looking at his feet and then pouring himself some of the tequila Antonio had brought. 

“Hey, I'm serious!” Antonio leaned back again. “You were always so down, and since your ranking was low...had me worried, man.”

Kotetsu sipped some tequila and made a face at the flavor. “Worried?”

“Of course. I told you that, especially in regards to your drinking.”

“You still invited me to the bar quite often!”

“Of course.” Antonio shrugged. “I was worried, but I wanted you to come out and be social and that's what it took, so I did it.”

Kotetsu just nodded. He appreciated his friend looking out for him, he really did. He hated how pathetic he had gotten. 

A hand touched his leg, gently stroking, and he looked at Barnaby, who was looking at Antonio. “Thank you for watching after him,” Barnaby said.

“Ah Barnaby, you don't need to be thanking me. Besides, this is before you two even met,” Antonio said, but he was smiling. 

“I do need to thank you, because if he wasn't here, I don't know where I'd be.” Barnaby poured himself more wine and leaned back and into Kotetsu. He was getting to cuddly buzzed stage, not that it was a problem. 

“Haha. Well alright then. Say, you two, should we play a drinking game or something?”

“Ah sure,” Kotetsu said, not feeling into emotional conversation anymore. “The remote is next to you, just pick a movie and make the rules,” he said, ready to focus on something else. 

Antonio picked up the remote and after some scrolling through channels, he picked a comedy and they made the rules. A shot every time a character talked about his 'glory days', a shot every time another one was slapped by a woman, a shot every time a certain car was shown...

The rules meant that they ended up drinking a little too much a little too fast. Antonio was getting stupid and wobbly while still sitting in his chair after an hour, and Kotetsu was feeling the room spin. His stomach was also a little odd feeling, but he ignored it. 

He had arrived at the awkward stage of being drunk, for him anyway. He was laughing with Antonio and had no clue what was happening in the movie, but at the same time he wanted to makeout with Barnaby for hours and was entertaining the idea of pulling off his shirt so he could kiss his soft chest. 

Barnaby wasn't faring much better. He was laughing a little, but at one point, he pulled a blanket off the top of the couch and covered himself and Kotetsu with it, saying something about how it was cold and he wanted to warm up. 

What a lie. It was hot in there and the alcohol only made it more heated. However, once the blanket covered them, Kotetsu felt a hand on his crotch. He tried not to look down or react because Antonio didn't really need to know he was getting fondled under the blanket, but damn it felt good. 

...Damn Barnaby! He was very good at losing control around Kotetsu. Usually that was fine, but they had company!

They had company who had just stood up announcing he had to piss. “Be back in a second...woah.” Antonio almost immediately tripped over nothing as he started wandering in the direction of the bathroom. 

That's right, they were all sitting while they drank. As Kotetsu watched Antonio go he realized he was probably in for some nasty wobbling and stumbling when he did stand up. Good thing they had nowhere to be and could just relax in their cozy home until they slept and sobered up. 

Kotetsu tried to concentrate on that as Barnaby palmed him through his pants. He could keep from getting a boner – okay, he could keep from getting a bigger boner, but then Barnaby started trying to shove his fingers down the front of Kotetsu's pants. 

“Bunny!” he hissed, grabbing his wrist. “You can't!”

“He's in the bathroom and we're under a blanket,” Barnaby slurred. Woah. Kotetsu didn't know how much wine he had, and judging by his actions, it must have been quite a bit. Barnaby was still trying to worm his way in. 

Antonio peed fast and that was something Kotetsu knew from many bar visits. If he thought they had time, he may have let Barnaby give him a quick handjob but – no! That just wasn't right when they had a guest!

He held his wrist firmer. “No. When we go to bed, we can do something, okay? But come on Bunny, you're more proper than this. You know this isn't a good idea.”

“I do but...I'm a little bored,” he admitted, getting an eyebrow raise out of Kotetsu. “I don't care about this movie and earlier everything was a little uncomfortable...I'm so...so...so, uh, anxious,” he finally managed to spit out. 

Kotetsu felt a little bad for him. He wasn't used to drinking in any kind of social setting. “Well we can do something else, or if you want to get back on your computer you can.”

Barnaby leaned more into him, his lips brushing against Kotetsu's neck. “I want you...” There was the sound of a door opening and Barnaby calmly leaned away again, smirking, his hand still in Kotetsu's lap. 

“Woah...I almost didn't pee in the toilet. You know how inviting that tub looks? Don't worry, I went in the right place,” he said, and just in time because Kotetsu could see Barnaby about to freak out a little. 

“Cool. I'm gonna pee now too,” Kotetsu said, getting up and forcing Barnaby to move his hand. He didn't have to pee – wait, upon standing, he actually did and quite badly- mostly he needed to go get some cold water on his face and rid himself of his hard-on. He turned at an angle as he got up so he could hide the bulge from Antonio. He would be humiliated if caught.

He knew Barnaby would be nervous to be left alone with Antonio, but he had to get to that bathroom. He closed the door as soon as he got in there and immediately began splashing his face with cold water while thinking of very unappetizing visuals, like dead bugs and boogers. 

The imagery worked and soon he was dropping his pants to go to the bathroom and absolutely nothing else. No, he did NOT need to touch himself! He just did his thing, washed his hands, and planned to sit without the blanket so Barnaby couldn't be a sneaky little shit. 

Kotetsu hoped he never stopped being stupidly hot for him though. 

He looked in the mirror, wondered why Barnaby found him attractive, felt his hairs stand on end, and then there was a loud BOOM.


	2. A Safe Place

There was a crash, a thud, loud noises and the sound of explosions. Kotetsu yelled and grabbed onto the wall which shook violently. The floor beneath him did so as well and he fell on his ass as the lights flickered and he could hear things falling to the floor and breaking. He had fallen hard too, everything moving and spinning around and beneath him. The rocking of the explosions combined with being drunk made for a terrifying experience and he yelled more. His mind immediately went to Barnaby and hoping he was okay, hoping the living room was safe, whatever was going on, hoping-

Then the lights went out, the room still shaking and trembling. Kotetsu couldn't get his bearings. He didn't know if he was upside down, sideways, if he was still in the bathroom – even his ears hurt. “Fuck!” he yelled, paused and did it again. “Fuck fuck!” 

He could smell burning, and could hear what sounded like screams from somewhere. Were they coming from the living room? He couldn't tell...He wished he could. He growled and dug his fingernails into the floor without thinking, trying to get a grip as if he still had claws. 

Surprisingly, it didn't work. In fact, he probably hurt himself.

He was so shaken that while he did move somewhat, he didn't actually get anywhere. He was panicking on the inside but he couldn't move. He could only shake, or was the dark building shaking, what were the noises around him? Did the bathroom shake?

“-tetsu! Kotetsu Kotetsu oh Kotetsu!” Barnaby's voice. 

“Kotetsuuuuu!” Antonio's voice.

Kotetsu responded in a loud yell, some mangled word, though he wasn't exactly sure what it was. The door burst open and he saw light. It was a flashlight, he knew it when he saw. “What...what...” It hurt his eyes when it landed on him, and then two hands grabbed his arms. One big rough hand and one considerably softer hand, used to fine lotions. 

“Explosion,” Antonio tried to answer as they hauled him to his feet. “That's all I can tell you. Don't know what blew up, just know this building is standing, at least for the moment.”

“Was it hit?” Kotetsu asked, slurring his words. Wow, he was incredibly drunk, which wasn't helping the panic settling in. He also noticed he was licking his sharp teeth a lot, feeling ready to attack and run. Attack who?

“We don't now. For all we know it's about to fall down. Let's get out of here.” Barnaby's voice soothed him, and Kotetsu felt an urge to protect his mate. ...His mate?

He was standing, but wasn't sure if the building was swaying or if it was him. “Am I drunk or is the building moving?”

“Um, we're all kinda...we couldn't...I dunno,” Antonio managed to spit out. “Let's just go.”

They made their way out of the bathroom with the flashlight to guide them. It was an eerie sort of calm. Things were wrong, they were VERY wrong, but no more explosions were going on and Kotetsu couldn't even hear sirens yet. He wasn't even sure he heard screams anymore, if he had even heard them in the first place. 

“Elevators won't work, dunno about the stairs,” Barnaby was saying, shining a light on their coat and gloves. Kotetsu stared, wondering what they were doing as it slowly dawned on him that they were getting warm clothes to go out in the cold. Smart. As much as he felt they ought to just run the hell out of there, they needed to be prepared. 

He took his coat. “Plan?” he asked.

“We don't have one,” Barnaby answered.

“You'd think, in this city we each would have a plan for this sort of thing,” Antonio said with a nervous chuckle as he put on his things. 

“This is...” Kotetsu couldn't find the word at all.

“Unnerving? Scary?” Antonio offered. 

“One of those,” Kotetsu answered, “How are we getting out!?” he asked, not sure what would be safe.

Nothing would be safe at all, but Barnaby was still answering him. “Look out the window, there are still lights in part of the city we can see. If we activate our powers, I believe we can use rooftops, even as high up as I am we should be able to get to something.”

“Uh...” Antonio made a sound to let them know he couldn't really do that.

“Oh shut it, we'll help you...how come you haven't freaked out and run off yet?” Kotetsu asked Barnaby, since the other one was always better about getting a move on it the very second anything went down.

“Wine. And worried. About you,” he confessed. 

“I see...” Kotetsu sighed. “Antonio?”

“Yes?” his friend answered. 

“Shots for the road?”

“What!?” Barnaby asked, in disbelief, while Kotetsu backed towards where he was sure the shots were, the ground still trembling and making him trip. “Are you serious? We need to go!”

“This is how we roll,” Antonio answered, and Kotetsu could see him moving in the beam of the light. 

Barnaby made some annoyed sounds but the men still backed toward their alcohol. Most everything spilled or broke, but by luck the bottle of whiskey still had the cap on right and merely had bounced around on the couch. Kotetsu found it, opened it, and took a shot, guiding Antonio to him. 

Antonio took a shot and then Kotetsu sealed it up, much to the aggravation of Barnaby, smiled even when it couldn't be seen, and joined his lover at the window. 

Together the three of them broke the glass and, with care for Antonio, lit up and jumped to the nearest rooftop. 

\-----

“Of course it was Ouroboros, who else would it have been?” Barnaby was mumbling from where they stood in front of another building. They had gotten there easily enough, hopping to one roof, and then another, and then a third before finding it had power and they were able to get into it and down the stairs safely. They had all been on edge, not knowing if the building was safe, but it was fine, empty even. People had been evacuated right away.

Kotetsu had tried not to look as they hit the second roof, but he had turned around anyway to see their building was a bit slanted...but standing. It wasn't in good shape but it wasn't destroyed. A few buildings down from them he could see where smoke and fire billowed as if from out of the ground, looking hellish as snow fell ever so calmly over the city. 

Some place had been blown up, and had taken a couple of extra buildings with it. Kotetsu was sure that was the case, and it was verified for him when they got into the street and Barnaby pulled his phone from his pocket to immediately call Lloyds and Agnes and other important people, like the mayor and chief of police. Kotetsu was unsure of who he had called first. 

Fire engines, ambulances, and police cars whipped by them as they stayed near the crowd on the sidewalk. Everyone was outside. All the buildings Kotetsu could see on that street had been emptied, and people cried and yelled or silently watched or even looked kind of excited. They edged a little close to the heroes, recognizing Barnaby, until Antonio got between them like a shield. 

The place that had been destroyed was a research facility, at least, that was the main target. Important office buildings had gone down too. They were places that should have been empty so when Barnaby informed him of such, even Kotetsu's drunk mind was able to see that it wasn't exactly an attack to hurt people.  
It was to hurt progress. 

What kind of progress? What was being researched?

“I don't know, I don't know, I don't know!” Barnaby had answered him with irritation when Kotetsu tried to ask. Barnaby had two fingers on his forehead rubbing little circles after he got off his phone. He probably went from drunk to feeling hungover. Kotetsu still felt drunk but he also felt unhappy. He wanted to be at home. 

“We going to the scene?” Antonio asked over his shoulder.

“Not yet. Fire Emblem and Blue Rose were already dispatched, because he can cope with heat and she can freeze what she needs to. If anyone was in those buildings, they're probably dead,” Barnaby told them.

“Who would be in them?” Kotetsu asked, looking at all the people who were looking back at them. He didn't like that. What were they expecting them to do? There wasn't anything they could do, at the moment...right? Maybe if he weren't intoxicated he could jump into action more efficiently.  
“Janitors, security guards, people like that,” Barnaby answered him in a flat voice.

“Oooooh...” Kotetsu hadn't even thought of that. “You sure they don't want us there?”

“What can we do? Agnes says they can't get a camera there because they can't even see in the smoke and ashes, which means we could go even in our suits but our visibility would be impaired, and all we would be doing is clearing rubble and looking for bodies. If those people were inside, they wouldn't be there now to be rescued, they'd have been incinerated or crushed while we were still looking for the flashlight.”

“You're not drunk anymore, are you...” Kotetsu frowned. He felt like they should be doing something. “What about the surrounding buildings?” 

“Sky High might be dispatched,” Barnaby answered.

“Um, okay, and seriously not us?” Kotetsu asked, and right as he did so a call band went off.

It was Antonio's. He startled and then looked around, uncomfortable, because he was not in a disguise. Too many people were watching and would continue to do so. It meant he couldn't answer via the bracelet...

So Barnaby dialed Agnes and handed Antonio the phone, which he took and spoke quietly into. “It's me...yes, a phone, there's civilians...you want me? Why? ...Er, yes, I am sturdy and rugged, but I'm also drunk...because I didn't know I'd be doing work tonight, geez!” he said, holding the phone away from his face a few inches so he could yell into it. Then he brought it back to his ear and sighed. “Fine. Yea, yea, I'll go find him. I'll be there.” Then he hung up and handed the phone to Barnaby, all of them cringing as two more emergency vehicles sped by with sirens blaring and hurting their sensitive ears. 

“Soooo?” Kotetsu stared at Antonio. 

“I need to get there,” he answered, looking toward the street.

“What!? Why not us!?” Kotetsu asked, feeling more angry than he should be, his tail absolutely whipping back and forth. It hit Barnaby's leg but he wasn't concerned about it. Barnaby wouldn't care.

Barnaby did turn to him, making a slow, calming wave motion with his hands. “Kotetsu, I think they want to protect us.”

“...They do?”

“Of course they do, you idiot,” Antonio grumbled. “Ouroboros would be after you two, and you two are also the stars and you're idols, and, well, the television world really wants to keep you around.”

“We save lives, too, we use our powers to help...they don't want us killed,” Barnaby said.

Antonio nodded as a police car pulled up to the curb and honked. People jumped and looked and murmured, while Antonio stepped away. “I need to take this to my transport, so no one sees me directly stepping in it...listen, stay safe and wait for instructions from Lloyds,” Antonio said, raising his hand in a wave.

Kotetsu felt fear in the pit of his stomach, both for himself and for Barnaby...and for Antonio. He didn't want him to go. He was his best friend. He was afraid he wouldn't see him again, for a while, that he would get hurt or worse...

He couldn't say anything to that effect and just slowly waved back. “Be safe,” he said, not sure if it was even loud enough to hear. He thought he saw Barnaby casting a worried glance his way, but Kotetsu didn't turn his head to meet his gaze.

\-----

Somehow they had gotten way from the crowd. More police had shown up just as people started to panic more and start closing around on the heroes, eliminating their personal space. The snow had begun to pick up too – at least, from what Kotetsu could tell. With a feeling of disgust he realized that some of what was hitting his face was not snowflakes but ashes from the explosions. There were bits of paper too, since the office buildings had gone down.

He wasn't sure what he was breathing in and didn't want to know, almost glad he and Barnaby were had begun coughing quite a bit. Maybe they could cough out all the bits of paper and debris they were inhaling. 

Other people could be heard coughing too. It didn't take long for there to be announcements from police officers telling people they needed to get off the street and back inside, that it was a health emergency and people who refused might even end up cuffed. 

That caused some folks to be a little, well, a little rebellious, not wanting to be told what to do. They were also scared, because what if they became trapped inside buildings that would also blow up, despite the fact no active buildings or large groups of people were targeted? 

Barnaby muttered something about them behaving stupidly, but Kotetsu understood that fear. He wanted to drop his long tail between his legs, or sit with it wrapped around his feet and try to keep quiet and safe, when he felt that kind of fear.

While it lingered at the back of his mind, his urge to protect was more dominant, and so they both marched purposely toward the cop cars when Barnaby received a call telling him to do so. When they were a few feet away a taxi rolled up as well, a very familiar taxi and Kotetsu could see Ben behind the wheel, amazingly. The spinning blue lights from the cop cars were blinding, and his drunk sensitive eyes hurt.

“You two will be getting in the taxi,” the officer they approached told them, and though Kotetsu could tell Barnaby wanted to argue, he prodded him and pointed at the taxi.

Barnaby knew they were being protected by then, and it was sensible and he knew that, but he still wanted to protest being carted away to safety. If they could do anything else, Kotetsu would have agreed. 

But, they got into the backseat of the taxi and Kotetsu tried to relax against the seat. “Hey, Ben.”

“Hey yourself, Kotetsu. Wish we were seeing each other under better circumstances, it's been a while. Hello there, Barnaby,” Ben answered, before laying on the horn when two people tried to run in front of the taxi. The police quickly handled them and Ben was able to go on his way. 

“You are...?” Barnaby leaned forward in his seat, obviously unable to relax. 

“Ben...my old sponsor...I had him when I went missing...” Kotetsu wanted to relax more. His mind wasn't really at ease, wishing he could do something to help, wishing he could just run out of there and go be useful. But he was still not sober and the warmth of the taxi, plus sitting down and watching the ash-snow fall around the car – it made him want to fall asleep. He wanted to sleep for hours and hours, if possible. 

He wanted to ignore everything, curl up in a furry ball on a pile of warm blankets, doze off, think about that blond.

“Kotetsu, WAKE UP,” Ben demanded loudly and Kotetsu startled himself out of his stupor. Woah, so not the time to fall asleep, even if he was comfortable, and Barnaby's leg rested against his. 

“I wasn't sleeping! That was someone else!”

Awkward silence fell over the car momentarily, Ben eventually breaking it. “Yes, I owned the company that sponsored Kotetsu...it was a bit of a blow to us when we couldn't find him.”

“Sorry,” said Kotetsu, feeling bad.

“Kotetsu...” Kotetsu saw Ben looking at him in his mirror before looking back at the road to turn a corner. “I didn't really get to tell you, but we were tanking before you left. In the end of the season I was going to have to declare bankruptcy.”

Kotetsu stared at him, stunned. “What?” How drunk was he? When Barnaby gave him a worried look that time, Kotetsu looked back at him, reached for him, and looked back to Ben.

Barnaby took his hand as Ben answered. “Well...we were running low on funds, and weren't doing well. I wasn't sure what to do with you – I would always support you, and was going to begin work seeing if I could find you a new sponsor. But then you vanished and there was no point in looking. No one would have been interested when you weren't showing up on screen.” He took another turn, and another firetruck went by, sirens and lights blasting. “I'm sorry. It worked out for the best, you coming back to a company no longer here and a boss more than eager to take you.”

Lloyds only took him on because he and Barnaby were lovers, and made a good fighting team with their matching powers. He wasn't sure that equaled 'more than eager', but he supposed it had been some pretty damn good luck...

Regardless, it was upsetting news.

“Were you ever going to tell me this?”

“Kotetsu, we have barely been in contact since you returned,” Ben said softly. “This is the best chance I have gotten.”

Barnaby squeezed his hand. “Don't dwell on it Kotetsu. You have a sponsor, he has a job still – I assume – and your future as a hero is okay.”

“Do you have a job, Ben?” Kotetsu asked stupidly.

“What the hell do you think I'm driving?” Ben asked, giving him a surprised look. 

“Yea, well...”

“I do fine in this taxi and I've got my retirement until I find something better. I'm perfectly fine Kotetsu. Don't worry about me.”

“Um...”

“I'm fine.”

“He's fine,” Barnaby added on and tugged on his hand. “Kotetsu, look at me.”

Kotetsu did, but he didn't let Barnaby speak first because the way he was acting bugged him. He was way too calm. His body language said tense and on edge, but he spoke so carefully and was otherwise affectionate in his touches. “Why aren't you freaking out more?” Kotetsu blurted and then felt a little bad.

Barnaby stared at him with an unreadable expression. “I don't know.”

“Eh?”

“I was drunk, and then scared, and then worried and curious and then panicked and then determined to do...something...but it all hit so hard that it left my head hurting. I'm finding it hard to focus, even now in this taxi. My head feels strange and I feel like I am hearing voices and seeing scenes of things I've forgotten...”

“Wait – you're getting memories back!?”

“I don't know. I don't know if they are memories or dreams or...”

“Are you drunk?” Ben asked, stopping for a light.

“Uh, yea, kinda, we even took shots after the explosion...” Kotetsu laughed weakly. Ben just sighed and said nothing else. Kotetsu put his attention back on Barnaby. “So? What are you seeing and stuff?”

“I...I don't know! I don't want to talk about it in here! I...Kotetsu,” he whined, and pointed at Ben. “I'm sorry, but he's a stranger to me.”

Kotetsu shook his head, regretted it, and leaned in closer to Barnaby. “He's not going to judge you, or do anything to you.”

“Please, it doesn't matter, I don't know him, I don't know if it's the wine, I don't...”

“Ben, where are we going anyway?” Kotetsu asked, feeling concerned. Barnaby sounded like a drunk well on his way to being sick and needing a toilet or a bucket. He could hear it in his voice, even behind the confusion and unhappiness he was feeling. The adrenaline had worn off.

“We are on our way to a hotel for you two to spend the night. There is good security in and around it, because they are absolutely hellbent on protecting the two of you,” Ben answered him.

Kotetsu couldn't help but feel maybe it was a waste of resources. At the same time, he wanted Barnaby safe. It didn't matter about himself, he wanted his lover safe, warm, and feeling better, even though he knew that was impossible with Barnaby's current mental state. He was probably panicking even more than Kotetsu was aware of, but was trapped inside his own head.

That happened, sometimes. It hadn't happened during their days at the tower, but after living in the apartment a couple of weeks, Kotetsu had noticed sometimes Barnaby could not escape his own head and it scared him. 

The rest of the ride was quiet. Ben took them to the next level down and they went toward that bridge that had recently been secured. It was crawling with cops and army people, stopping Ben every street or so to ask what he was doing there and search for details. Sometimes the people were on phones, and found he was allowed, and sometimes he was forced to show his ID and answer questions – and sometimes the official stopping them was smart enough to look in the back of the cab and see the two heroes, plain as day, riding along. 

They came to an expensive looking hotel building, shorter than other places at only about five stories high. A police woman opened the door and another one escorted them from the drop-off point to the door. Kotetsu turned to wave goodbye to Ben, only to find him being dismissed and pointed toward an exit immediately. Didn't he deserve to be safe?

It could be that Ben just wanted to go home. 

They entered the incredibly upscale lobby, complete with chandeliers, leather couches, and a bigscreen TV, and found Lloyds waiting for them. He was talking to a worker there when he looked up and turned to them completely with a big relieved smile. “Ah, there you two are!” he said, as if he had been waiting for them a while.

He probably had.

Kotetsu gravitated closer to Barnaby and took his arm. “We're here...and...wouldn't we be of more use out there?”

As he asked it, Lloyds wrinkled his nose. “I can smell the alcohol on your breath from here. I'm going to say it was a wise decision not to send you out.”

“I could have gone,” Barnaby said quietly.

Lloyds gave him a look that said he didn't believe he was sober either, though he made no remark about smell of his breath. Kotetsu could smell the wine, barely. “No, it's better to have you two here. There isn't much we could have had you do in that situation, you see.”

“We have to have been able to do something!” Kotetsu insisted, even though by then he knew he'd rather be safe in the hotel. He wanted to save people...but he didn't want to deal with the cold and weird things in the air. 

“The other heroes did fine. They have their roles to fill, and tonight is a night where being on the camera and earning points...isn't really the main idea.” Lloyds took a deep breath and looked tired. In that moment Kotetsu found an ounce more respect for him. He was a business man, he pushed his employees to do their best and earn them popularity and money and all that, but he was also human.

And he knew what was the right call to make in the current situation. Kotetsu sometimes forgot that he had brains and had to learn about the kinds of situations heroes were in, and how to manage it. 

He wasn't on the level of-

“There you two are!” Agnes's voice echoed across the lobby as she walked towards them from a still open elevator. “I was getting worried when you didn't call! Why the hell didn't you call?” she asked, directing her aggression toward Kotetsu and getting in his face.

“Uh, hey! I didn't do anything!” Kotetsu said, holding up his free hand.

Agnes looked at the arm linked with Barnaby's and rolled her eyes. She wasn't against them being a couple, and didn't have problems with their sexuality. She just liked to give them shit and pick at them for being all romantic and all over each other and just WHY were they unwilling to be like that in front of a CAMERA!? She made it quite clear she would love for them to appear all over talk shows and kiss and be in photoshoots and...

Barnaby held up his phone. “Sorry, I've been in contact with Lloyds and the mayor all night as they had us transported here. I meant to call you after you called me earlier, but it's been a little chaotic.”

“It's been chaotic for YOU!?” she asked, as if insulted. 

“Of course it has been,” Barnaby said firmly. 

“You smell drunk!” she practically yelled, and it pissed Kotetsu off. Why were she and Lloyds acting as if it were disgusting that the heroes had drinks on their own private time when they didn't plan on being called out?

So, he yelled back. “Yes, we are drunk! We didn't plan on an evening full of explosions, we planned on an evening of sitting down and having conversation and a few drinks, does that fit your itinerary?” he asked, nearly spitting.

She looked at him with her lips in a straight line, obviously pissed off but knowing she could really say anything back because everything he had said was true, and he had done nothing wrong. Neither had Barnaby. 

“You two are filthy,” she finally said, and pushed Kotetsu aside to march up to the front desk. Kotetsu didn't know what she was going there for, and didn't ask, but did notice as Barnaby stepped away from him. 

“Eh?” Kotetsu looked at him.

Barnaby pointed at him, and then at himself. “We have ash and dirt and whatever else on our jackets.”

Kotetsu blinked and looked down at his clothes. It was true. There was a thin film of filth covering both of them, slick with the melting snow that had landed on them. Gross! He raised a hand as if to wipe himself off, but reconsidered. “Ugh! We got to take these off!”

“Go to your room and change. You two are in a suite on the third floor,” Lloyds said, handing them each a key card. “I know you'll lose yours,” he told Kotetsu before he could ask why they were getting two. 

“Change into what?” Barnaby asked tiredly. “We didn't exactly get the chance to pack, so we have nothing here.”

“I took care of that. There are clothes prepared for you, toiletries, and a few snacks. There are also some movies and books and a computer,” Lloyds said, pulling out his phone.

“You were uh...prepared?” Kotetsu asked, not sure he liked that. Did they know something would explode?

“It does not take long to put together some emergency stay items. All it took was a phone call to another part of town that was safe, and a transfer. We didn't do personal shopping – which means not all of the items will be ideal.” Lloyds started dialing his phone and walking away. “Now if you'll excuse me...oh, and don't worry, Agnes is on the other side of the hotel on the bottom floor.”

“She's here too!?” Kotetsu couldn't fathom being able to handle being in a hotel with Agnes. But....as long as she was on the other side of the building...

Well, maybe it would be okay.

\----

The hotel suite was beautiful.

They entered a room with hardwood floors underneath their feet leading into a small kitchenette, immediately to their right. There was a shiny black refrigerator and stove, and clean wooden counters. There was a microwave, a toaster, a coffee maker, a blender, and a few other appliances. The kitchen opened up slightly to make room for a small wooden table with two fancy chairs. 

The main room was a wide open bedroom and living room mix. The king sized bed had chocolate brown covers with white pillows, each one holding a small mint. Each side had a bedside table with an elegant antique looking lamp, one with a brown base, and another with a black base, oddly decorated with white marching elephants. Next to the large window was a long tan couch with brown pillows. Three large blue suitcases sat in front of the couch, and Kotetsu guessed those were their things.

Across from the bed was a warm looking fireplace already going and casting wonderful heat throughout the room. Above it was a huge television, and Kotetsu could see around the corner of the fireplace sat a desk with the remote and some pamphlets on it. 

Upon closer expression he noticed there were some menus there, along with a channel guide and maps to the surrounding area. There was a list of tourist attractions as well, which was amusing to Kotetsu. Even with all that was going on, the hotel found it alright to set that sort of thing out for guests?

...Were they even getting guests? Kotetsu knew tourism and travel was affected by Ouroboros's takeover, but he hadn't quite realized...

How were the people at the hotel doing? Were they able to provide for their families? There were more problems than guns and explosions.

It was depressing to think about, and so he checked out the rest of the suite. There was a reading nook with an armchair and a lamp and an ottoman. Next to it were the temperature controls. Across from the nook was a door that led to the bathroom. The bathroom had black tiling and a long counter, with a vanity mirror and a white sink. 

Everything was attractive...even the toilet. 

There was a huge tub and shower set-up. Kotetsu was surprised to see such a huge tub that wasn't actually a jacuzzi. He expected a jacuzzi and had almost looked forward to it, but the big tub made up for the minor letdown. It looked inviting. There was a handle inside for people with physical difficulties, and an adjustable showerhead. There were holders everywhere for shampoo and soap and whatever shower things they might want. 

There was a rack of thick, fluffy towels in various sizes – washcloth, hand towel, and body towel. Each towel was beige and looked soft and warm and...

Kotetsu immediately started taking off his grimy jacket. He needed a shower. He needed to be warm and needed something nice, something to remind him the world wasn't horrible and that sometimes it could be warm and comforting. 

“What are you doing?” Barnaby asked as Kotetsu had his jacket in hand and was turning around. He took a couple of steps back and opened up the big closet door to find a dirty clothing hamper.   
“Getting undressed, what's it look like?”

“Is this a good time to...”

Kotetsu deposited his jacket in the hamper and turned back to Barnaby. He was confused as to why Barnaby was confused. He was a smart man, and he had to know the first thing to do was to get out of their clothing and get clean, get safe and make sure they were okay. “To shower? Seriously?” he asked. 

“Oh, shower...” Barnaby nodded slowly, and that's when Kotetsu noticed that far off look in his eyes again. Barnaby's mind had gobbled him right back up. 

Kotetsu stepped up to him and started o unzip his jacket. “We're getting this off of you,” he said quietly, gently, and Barnaby just moved as he needed him to so he could slip his arms out and let the jacket slide off his shoulders. Kotetsu put that in the hamper too, and helped Barnaby with his shirt.

Once he was shirtless Kotetsu turned to the shower. It had a strange handle and he had to mess around a little before he could get the water on and adjust the temperature. He got it to a comfortable warm 'rain'. The room was cozy and he didn't need the shower sizzling hot. 

Barnaby got himself out of his pants and underwear, handing it all in a pile to Kotetsu who put it in the hamper. He helped Barnaby into the shower and left him in there as he stripped down to his underwear, only realizing then they needed soap. He checked on top of the sink – there, of course, high quality soap! He knew the hotel would have the good stuff!

He took off his boxers and stepped in the shower with Barnaby, who stood half in the spray, looking tired. He raised his eyes momentarily. “Kotetsu...”

“Bunny, are you okay?”

Barnaby shook his head, closed his eyes, and then Kotetsu saw the tears, even with his face wet from the shower. “Kotetsu, he's free, I just know he is, Maverick is out there. I don't think he's in jail, its too easy. He'll hurt someone else, and he'll keep doing it until he gets me back.”

“He will NOT get you back.”

“I don't want to go back. Kotetsu, he took so much away from me. I think I used to have friends. I think I even had family, like an aunt, and a cousin, but he took them away. I don't know if he killed them or erased their memories too...I remember him shooting my parents!”

“All this tonight?” Kotetsu asked, rubbing his shoulders. 

“No, it's been over the last few weeks, but everything was so fleeting and confusing that I didn't bother to say anything about it. I couldn't think of any way to put it into words, so I didn't, and I didn't know how much was real and...” He sighed. “Sometimes I wish my life was normal.”

“Define normal.”

“I'm not sure I even want to be a hero!” His eyes opened wide and he wiped his wet hair from his eyes. “Kotetsu, I think Maverick made me become a hero. I like helping people, but this...I don't...I want to enjoy important time.”

Kotetsu tilted his head, letting go of Barnaby only to shampoo his own hair. “Important time?”

“Time with you.”

“...Oh...”

“Time being happy, time being myself. I want to save people so they will have that time too, but the more I give to them, the more it takes from me and dammit! It's selfish, but I want more. I had so little time with my parents, and what if I have little time with you?”

Oh, no, not a dark conversation, Kotetsu wasn't sure he could handle that well at the moment. “Bunny please, let's not talk about that!”

“It may not be that way Kotetsu, I don't know. It's more likely we have our whole lives ahead of us, to be together, to go through many different experiences, but I don't want to chance it...”

“Where are you going with this?”

“When this is over – I mean all of it, when Maverick is locked up behind maximum security and Ourboros is crushed beneath our feet and we've won the city back...I'm not sure I want to be a hero anymore.”

“Bunny!” 

“And I know it's a lot to ask...” Barnaby took the shampoo from Kotetsu, who was staring in a daze. “But I hope you'll come with me, somehow...you can help so many Kotetsu, and you don't have to be a hero.”

“But...but my powers!”

Barnaby worked the shampoo into his hair, building suds. “I know, they were meant to save people. But...you've done so much good, Kotetsu. Just because you have powers doesn't mean you have to save people with them.”

“Bunny, I have these powers as a gift, I can do what other people can't, I can do so much good!” He managed to think enough to start rinsing his hair in the warm spray, even though his mind was racing. Was Barnaby still drunk? Would he remember his dumb words in the morning? Crazy talk! 

“You know Kotetsu...most people don't have powers.”

“I know.”

“And yet, they are still capable of doing good. A LOT of good, if they make the effort.”

“...”

“Having powers doesn't mean you alone suddenly have a responsibility to take care of everyone and put their lives before yours. Human beings should care for each other, and try to help one another regardless of if they have NEXT powers or not. Which is to say, you can help people without being a hero, and set an example for normal humans, and you can be safer. Ah, I am...I am not putting this well, I'm afraid.” Barnaby sniffed and wiped his eyes.

Kotetsu knew what he was trying to say. And it didn't fall on deaf ears. Nor was he awake or sober enough to think about it much.

He focused on the part where Barnaby wanted to spend all his precious moments with him, make everything count, before it could be taken away again. 

He wanted to give that to him. Hell, he wanted to, so so bad. Barnaby was a big part of his world. 

There was a lot of thinking for him to do while they were in that hotel room.


	3. Prisoner of His Mind

Sleeping was difficult, for both of them. Kotetsu ended up getting up in the middle of the night to see if there was anything packed to help them sleep. He found an assortment of bandaids, ointments, headache medicine – and by some miracle, some concoction called 'E-Zzzzzs'. They came in the form of little shot sized bottled drinks, like those three and five hour energy shots Kotetsu had seen around. He didn't know if it was safe to take since they had drank alcohol earlier, but the most it would all do was make them very sleepy which was the whole damn point. 

Barnaby had sat up, disturbed by the lamp Kotetsu had turned on, but he was unable to drift off as well. Kotetsu tossed him one of the drinks and they each downed one. Kotetsu still doubted he'd be able to sleep, with so much on his mind and feeling very nervous about their safety and the city's safety. He didn't have the same sort of unease he had felt back in the apartment bathroom right before everything had changed, though.

And maybe that was part of the reason he was able to sleep. He also owed the ability to sleep to the drink and the way Barnaby curled into him as soon as he was back under the covers.

So, they were able to get rest, and when Kotetsu did wake up he noticed he had slept so well that he had slept into the afternoon. He told himself that was late, jump up, call Lloyds, get out there and help people! But his entire body felt so sluggish he couldn't get himself to move. After he spent a couple of seconds examining his surroundings, he noticed Barnaby was asleep, one hand over his face. 

How sweet. 

Kotetsu moved his hand, kissed it, and tried to shake him awake. “Bunny, Bunny, it's me, it's late, wake up...”

Barnaby groaned and slowly opened his eyes. He looked up at Kotetsu and reached for him, his arm extending across his waist instead of making a move to get up. Then he closed his eyes again. 

“...Bunny.” Kotetsu smiled. “Come on. It's after noon. It's late.”

“It is!? ...I don't care...I don't feel that great, and I don't care...”

“You know that's not true.”

“Yes it is,” Barnaby argued and held Kotetsu in a tight grip. “It wasn't just the stress and alcohol last night, you know, I meant everything. I want to spend my time with you. I could lose you any time...we didn't expect anything to explode, it could happen anytime.”

It was sweet, but disturbing at the same time. Kotetsu didn't like that attitude, of Barnaby wanting to throw away all of his ability and dedication to lay with Kotesu all day. There was a point where the affection became problematic, and that was when Barnaby was willing to disregard his entire life and what he worked for.

If he worked for it. Kotetsu couldn't lecture him when he didn't know how much was Barnaby and how much was Maverick. He knew Barnaby's true personality was what he loved though. 

“We need to figure out the situation. I want to find out if Antonio is alright. I need to know about the others as well.”

“...Get up and call Lloyds, then, and Antonio, and anyone else you need to. And then come back.”

“Bunny...”

“Kotetsu.” Barnaby practically whispered his name. “We are out there every day. We save people every day. Please, I...please I need a break, I just need a little bit before I can face it all...”

So, Barnaby was on the verge of a breakdown, at least, that's how he was coming off at that moment. Kotetsu didn't like it, but at the same time...at the same time, he knew it would be wrong for him to pressure Barnaby too hard. There was being encouraging and getting him all pumped and ready, and then there was forcing and dragging him when he couldn't handle it.

At the moment he couldn't handle it. Barnaby never displayed a quitter attitude, never slacked, and Kotetsu wanted to kick himself for the thoughts he'd just been having. Barnaby was showing signs of being in a very bad place mentally and he was just ignoring it and writing if off as clingy and obsessive.

He didn't fucking deserve Barnaby if he was going to act like that. 

“Alright...alright...” Kotetsu whispered back to him and just gazed at him. Barnaby's eyes were still closed, and so he could not return the look. He was falling back asleep, so Kotetsu lingered a few more minutes until he heard Barnaby's 'sleep-breathing', which told him the man was out. 

Only then did he slip out from under his arms and relocate to the kitchen table. He couldn't help but notice as he slipped out of bed he was not hit with cold air and left shivering. He was warm and comfortable. The automatic temperature was perfect; he doubted they would have to adjust the controls during their stay. 

Kotetsu checked his phone to see Antonio called, and so he was the first one he rang up.

Antonio answered immediately. “Yo. I'm good, we're all good,” he said, before Kotetsu could ask a thing. 

“Oh, good!”

“Yea. I mean, there were some deaths, and people are being treated for all the weird shit they inhaled – research facility isn't a good place to blow up, all those chemicals in the air. I mean, they weren't really science labs. A lot of it was done on the computer.”

“What were they working on there?” Kotetsu asked, curious. “I mean, what was so important-”

“Genetic engineering, in respect to NEXT powers.”

“...Ah.”

“Guess Ouroboros, guess Maverick didn't like that.”

“I suppose so,” Kotetsu murmured, and rubbed his head. “I was so useless last night...so, people are hurt and dead.”

“Yes, Kotetsu, but the deaths could not have been prevented. It was as we all thought, they died in the initial blasts, there was nothing left of them. ...Actually there were some bystanders, but still by the time you could have gotten there...and you also couldn't prevent the spread of ash and other debris in the air. This leads me to ask, are YOU okay? And Barnaby?”

“Oh, yea, we're alright. We're in a hotel.”

Antonio nearly cut him off. “Don't tell me where. Please. I have no idea if our conversation can be listened into, you know, but I wouldn't chance it. Where ever you are, stay there.”

Kotetsu shook his head, despite the fact no one could see. “I can't do that. I'm a hero and cannot just hide while other people are in danger.”

“Kotetsu, you're in danger! Your building still gets ransacked from time to time!” 

He scoffed. “Buddy, that could be anyone. I had to desert that place. I've been at Bunny's a while.”

“Witnesses indicate people dressed all in black and faces that have been recognized as wanted members of Ouroboros.”

Kotetsu swallowed. “Uh, okay, but I'm sure some are still just troublemakers and thieves.”

“You do know they are unhappy with you for finding out what you did and exposing Maverick and restoring Barnaby's memory, right? It was uh, quite the blow. Even though they can't undo it, and it's probably pointless to capture you, they still want you. They'll probably gut you and hang you out a window as an example!”

Kotetsu laughed. “Antonio...”

“Why are you laughing!?”

“Because they would never do that! A dirty as those scumbags are, they still have some strange air of class. Maverick himself makes that clear.”

“Fine, they won't hang you out a window, but they'll torture you or someone you love – like Barnaby.” That shut Kotetsu up, and Antonio continued. “They can't get out of the city, and I do believe officials in Oriental Town have actually taken your family somewhere safe in the case someone does make it out, so your daughter and mother and that brother of yours are all safe. But Barnaby is there, and he's probably vulnerable. Maverick's damage on him alone can't be undone in an instant.”

That was the truth. Kotetsu was weirdly shocked that Antonio would say something so insightful even though he was far from a stupid man. “Ah, yea...he's having trouble getting out of bed today...”

“Well, there you go!” Antonio sounded triumphant. “Your damn safety aside, he needs you there, Kotetsu. You want to jump into action, be useful and save people, well, that man needs your help more than anyone out here does. One person versus many, and you can worry about those many or focus on that one and save him for sure.”

Antonio made sense, even if Kotetsu didn't like the idea of abandoning people. He liked the idea of abandoning Barnaby even less, though. “You're...right. I need to take care of him right now. I'm worried about him.”

“I wouldn't be surprised if he was starting to lose it before last night. He sounded odd while drinking.”

“Well he's always odd,” Kotetsu commented, and heard Antonio laugh. “But, I get you. Sometimes it feels like he's fading in and out of life a little. I want him to feel better.”

“Mmm. Well, you go work on that. Remember what's important. You take care of him, we'll take care of things out here. No one is leaving or neglecting anyone,” Antonio said.

Kotetsu agreed and said his goodbyes. Antonio was completey right. In addition, it made Kotetsu think about what Barnaby had said last night. Barnaby hadn't said the same thing as Antonio, but combined it made Kotetsu wonder what he should do in his future, what would be best for him and what would be best for his loved ones.

Perhaps he could do just as much good being something other than a hero. 

Kotetsu didn't go back to bed, but he let Barnaby keep on sleeping. He opened the fridge and found to his relief, it was well stocked. That meant he could quickly fry up eggs and toast for himself, and sometime later worry about Barnaby's breakfast. Eggs and bacon and milk probably.

And he was still willing to cook him breakfast food even when Barnaby failed to roll out of bed until past three. By that time Kotetsu was on the couch watching the TV muted but with captions. He was trying to watch anything but the news, which ended up meaning a nature channel. 

“Why are you watching a show about sea turtles?”

Kotetsu looked away from the television to see Barnaby standing up, wearing the boxers and ugly black and yellow smiley-face print shirt he'd slept in. He hated it, they both hated it, but Barnaby wanted to sleep in a shirt and grabbed the first one he saw in the suitcase. “Oh, you're up!”

“I am, so answer my question. How come you didn't come back to bed?” Barnaby asked and Kotetsu realized he was angry. Oops. He would have loved to go back to bed with Barnaby, really, but had elected to stay awake so he didn't end up being nocturnal. 

“I called Antonio. Didn't call Lloyds or Agnes and they haven't called me. Guess they figured they don't need to yet. Anyway, it's best for us to stay hidden right now. I'm in danger, and you're in danger. They want to punish me.”

“And I'm sure me too.”

Kotetsu shook his head. “Not exactly. They blame me more, I think, 'cause before me your memories were juuuuust as they should be and you were going where Maverick wanted you to go.”

“I suppose.” Barnaby frowned. 

“Want me to make you some food?” Kotetsu asked, standing up. 

“I'm not hungry.”

“You're having toast.” Barnaby wasn't going without food. Even if he had no appetite, Kotetsu was feeding him whether he liked it or not. 

“But I don't want-”

“No. No, Bunny, you are eating, and you are staying healthy. I want to take care of you. Please?”

“...”

“How are you feeling right now? Be honest?”

His frown faded, and Barnaby looked at the floor in shame. “...Worthless.”

Kotetsu knew his mind was in a bad place that day. He knew Barnaby was questioning himself, knew he was lost and knew he needed help. But he didn't expect that answer and instead of pulling Barnaby into a tight and loving hug, all he could do was stare. “Wha...why?”

“As evil as Maverick is, I ended up being of no use to him. And now, his people torment the city, and all I can do is hide. Even if I were out there, my focus has been slipping Kotetsu, it really has. I try to hide it, but I can't today. If I put on my suit I would lose. I'm afraid of what or who I will lose next while a whole city is terrorized and I can't help. I am a useless excuse of a human being right now.”

And then Kotetsu grabbed his arm and tugged him in close. He held him firmly, Barnaby's strong body feeling suddenly fragile. “You listen to me. I have felt useless and worthless. I have felt sad, I have felt like a fucking joke. I may not have felt it for the same reasons you do, but it is familiar territory to me.”

“But you're useful.”

“Listen to me.” Kotetsu nuzzled Barnaby's face lightly. He liked to do that, and Barnaby seemed to love getting it. It was an animal behavior he had never dropped. “You are in no way useless. We are here for our own safety, and our friends help out there, because they understand. We need to be safe. We need a break. You need to heal your mind, you need time to cope with what has happened to you. There is nothing wrong with that.”

“But Ouroboros-”

“Doesn't matter. There will always be danger. You cannot keep putting off your recovery. And before you dare find yourself worthless...” Kotetsu stepped back and smiled at him. “You brought me back. You found me. Without you, who knows how long I'd have been missing, or worse, how long until someone bad found me. And it's more than that. You restored my worth. You made me feel loved, gave me back a reality I thought I lost with Tomoe. I can never thank you enough. You saved me, Bunny, and continue to do so every minute of every single day. So don't you call yourself worthless. You are worth everything to me. And...and as such you need to take care of yourself. I need you in my life as happy as possible.”

Barnaby sniffed, and kept looking at the floor. Kotetsu could see tears.

“Bunny?” he asked, hoping Barnaby had at least heard some of his words.

“Stupid...”

“Eh?”

“Stupid, corny old man,” Barnaby blurted, and then started crying. At the same time he wrapped his arms around Kotetsu, who could feel the tears against his bare chest. 

\----

Barnaby cried for a long time. When Kotetsu tried to ask him questions, he just kept sobbing. He could understand what was wrong, sort of, but surely Barnaby was smart enough to see he was by no means worthless or anything like that. 

He also wanted Barnaby to answer him so he could stop his own thinking. It got old, after a while. He was tired of having nothing to really distract himself from his own problems, even if they were issues he couldn't deal with for a while. Retire from being a hero and look for a new way of life? Stay a hero? ...He didn't even know if Barnaby would feel the same way after they took care of the trouble.

Once Barnaby felt more positive, more uplifted, he very well might want to keep being a hero with Kotetsu fighting by his side. 

There was just nothing that could be done at the moment. Literally nothing.   
Barnaby was on his second hour of crying and refusing to eat the toast and hot chocolate placed in front of him when his phone rang. Barnaby acted like he didn't hear a thing so Kotetsu had answered it.

He was greeted by the super agitated voice of Agnes. “Barnaby!”

“It's Tiger!” he snapped, and then realized maybe they were needed. “What's up?”

“...Why are you answering Barnaby's phone?”

“He's...uh...” Kotetsu looked at his crying blonde on the couch. He couldn't tell Agnes something so personal. Barnaby would be embarrassed. “He's pushin' out a number two. I'll take a message.” 

“...Ugh! Well, I have no news, I wanted to make sure YOU were behaving,” she declared.

Kotetsu was offended! “You called him to check on me!?” he asked.

“I did,” Agnes answered. “Other than that, I have nothing for you. Nothing is going on. Nothing. Not even petty crimes! Everyone is scared!”

“So...it's safe to go out?”

“Absolutely not! Tiger, you do understand-”

“That we are likely targets? Yea, I do. And we need to stay in here.” He sighed. “Is there honestly nothing else we can do?”

“There is not. Feel free to use the gym or the pool here, visit the in building bar, but do not leave this hotel under any circumstances. We have police out there and the other heroes are helping, as they are just as restless, and worried about you two.”

“Awww, they're worried about us?” Kotetsu asked, feeling happy. He did value the other heroes. He may have not been able to spend time getting to know them, but he was sure that given a little more opportunity the group of them would be better friends than rivals. 

“Yes. Now, if you'll excuse me, I believe I am off to the bar. I have to stay here too. A bunch of important people are in here.”

“Are any-”

“Near your room? No. No one wants to hear you two having sex,” she said, and hung up the phone.

Kotetsu tossed the phone onto the unmade bed. Well, he didn't see any sort of loud sex in his future, but it was good to know they had space to themselves even outside the room's walls. He went back to Barnaby, sitting next to him and petting his back.

“Who was that?”

“Agnes,” he answered, and Barnaby nodded. He didn't ask anymore.

As they had woken up late, it wasn't long before the sun was going down and Kotetsu knew evening was coming. He hadn't even looked outside since waking up, but the room was going dimmer. He had no idea if it was snowing or clear, but it didn't matter.  
He asked Barnaby several times if he wanted to swim, go to the bar, or even just walk. Barnaby shook his head, crawled into the bed, and fell back asleep. 

Kotetsu was left to his own devices again for an hour or so, so he watched the television again. He found a cop drama and settled on that. What if he became a cop? His tail flicked in dull interest. That would be like being a hero, pretty much. He'd still be fighting bad guys. He also would have more rules on him as a cop.

Nah, it wasn't for him. 

Then Barnaby yelped and started shouting for help. Kotetsu nearly tripped over his own two feet to get to him, jumping on the bed, reaching for him, and pulling Barnaby to him. He knew how to settle those nightmares down, and that involved sharing his warmth and protective arms.

Barnaby still shivered and whimpered like he always did, but within five minutes he was quieting down. 

Kotetsu realized it was another reason to be glad no one was around. Barnaby's nightmares did not need to be heard or known about, and he did not want anyone coming in there and asking what was wrong. It just took him holding Barnaby. 

He held him until he dozed off, and what followed was a strange night. 

Kotetsu drifted in and out of sleep, and even though his mind was not at ease, he found himself comfortable and sleepy in that lush bed, even with the television still on. The volume was low so he never moved to change it. He sometimes felt a little thirsty, but never felt motivated to get out of bed and get a drink. 

Maybe it was the time of year. Kotetsu found it easy to feel lethargic when winter was coming, as the world got darker and colder. It made him want to huddle up somewhere warm. In the past few years, it had also made his depression darker, harder to overcome. Barnaby did make that better, despite the current circumstances. Kotetsu had definitely been lonely for a long time.

They woke up at a normal time the next morning. Kotetsu felt a little refreshed, but Barnaby still looked out of it. They both thought about turning on the news to see how things were going but it was too difficult. If anything was happening, their phones would ring.

It looked to be a long and boring day just as it had been before, but the difference starting out was that Kotetsu got Barnaby to eat some eggs and toast. 

It got better because he got him to the gym too! Kotetsu had suggested it, not really serious because he didn't think Barnaby would enjoy it, but the blonde quietly nodded and went to gather up some clothing to work out in.

They found themselves running alongside each other on treadmills a few minutes later. The gym had a few other machines and weights, but the lifting area was being used by some obvious businessmen with no idea what they were doing, and some of the other machines were busted.

Treadmills it was. “I'm surprised you agreed to this,” Kotetsu said, running at a very leisurely pace. He didn't feel like going hardcore, even though his 'inner tiger' kind of wanted to dart around after being cooped up in the room. 

Barnaby sort of jogged next to him. He wasn't pushing himself either. “I needed to move around a little more, and if I stay in there...I will cry. I needed a distraction.”

“You feeling better than yesterday?” Kotetsu asked. He looked a little better even if still sad!

But Barnaby decided to dash his hopes. “No. It's all I can do not to go back to the room and lay down. I need to do this. I don't really want to.”

“...Oh.”

“Perhaps we can go to the bar next, but I did see Lloyds heading that way, and I'm not sure I would enjoy drinks with him.”

Kotetsu had to laugh. “I guess not,” he said, and kept on moving. 

They stayed there for an hour or so, and then Barnaby abruptly stopped, shut off his machine, and stepped off. He started to walk off without another word so Kotetsu slowed down, shut his off, and followed. “Guess we're done, huh?”

“Uh huh,” Barnaby answered, still walking.

Kotetsu didn't like that. “No need to be rude to me,” he said, as they left the gym and got on the elevator. 

Barnaby's shoulders sagged and as the doors closed he looked at Kotetsu. “I'm sorry. I'm just not doing very well.”

Kotetsu wrapped an arm around his waist, and his tail curled around Barnaby's leg. “I know.”

“I shouldn't act like that,” Barnaby continued. “You're the one person who keeps me sane, my only...” he stared off into space as if he were going to say more, but it didn't happen. He just stared and left the thought hanging. Kotetsu thought about prompting him to finish but he didn't.

When they returned to the room he went to the bathroom to shower. Kotetsu followed. He didn't want Barnaby in the shower alone – there was no big reason for it. He didn't think Barnaby would hide in there with a razor or something, or burst into tears over showering alone. He just wanted to keep him company and generally be there. 

He also enjoyed seeing Barnaby naked whenever he could,

They didn't mess around, but Kotetsu was able to tempt him into kissing, a little at first, and then intense. He could feel Barnaby's stress melt away in the water as they continued to kiss, and as he squeezed Barnaby's ass and necked him. He didn't do much more than that even though he himself was hard. Barnaby kissed him deeply but Kotetsu had to stop so he could maintain control.

If it got too hot and heavy, he didn't want to pressure Barnaby into sex only to learn it was one of the rare circumstances where he wasn't losing his mind over Kotetsu's body. 

Once they were out of the shower, however...

Kotetsu was toweling off as Barnaby rubbed some lotion on his legs and arms, the bathroom steamy from the shower. For once the room was almost uncomfortable, but Kotetsu pushed the bathroom door open to cool it off a little and it felt better in seconds. He hung the towel over the top of the shower and went to the couch. He started to get clothes, but felt a hand on his back. 

“Sit down, Kotetsu,” murmured Barnaby.

“Ah, let me put on-”

“Just sit down.”

Kotetsu paused, confused, but he did oblige. He thought maybe Barnaby had something important to tell him, though why he couldn't wait for pants, he wasn't sure. He turned to face him and sat on the couch. The fabric felt good on his bare skin. Maybe lounging around naked would be the thing to do the rest of the day. He didn't do it nearly enough.   
Barnaby stood before him, naked as well. He looked Kotetsu up and down and Kotetsu knew they weren't about to have a talk. He also didn't know if it was an appropriate time. Still, he didn't stop Barnaby as he moved aside the suitcases still in front of the couch. He also didn't stop him as he kneeled down, hands on Kotetsu's thighs as he pushed his legs apart. 

“Ah, we don't have any, um, you know, lubricant,” Kotetsu said, alarmed. He didn't know if Barnaby wanted any penetration, but he was damn sure they wouldn't be lucky enough to find lube in the stuff that had been packed for them.

Then again, it was known that they were a couple, sooo...

“We're not doing that,” Barnaby said, raising his eyes toward Kotetsu. “Not that I don't want it all the time, but I want to do this right now.”

It was true. Barnaby had nights where he hadn't left Kotetsu alone until he was on top of him with his sharp teeth in his neck as he pushed into the blonde. Someone wanting him so badly was hard for Kotetsu to understand. 

He didn't have to understand. He didn't even have to think. Barnaby had leaned forward, kissing and nipping at Kotetsu's inner thighs as he cupped his balls. He stroked expertly with one thumb as he traced his teeth along Kotetsu's skin, and Kotetsu held back an uncultured grunt when Barnaby's finger applied more pressure. 

Barnaby was never with a man or anyone at all before Kotetsu, but he got good, fast. He was an excellent learner. He was great with his teeth, his fingers...his tongue, and Kotetsu gasped as that skilled tongue found the tip of his hard cock and circled it slowly. 

He liked that Barnaby was smart. It was known that Kotetsu had a very hard time controlling himself – when they did anal, they had to have a safe word just in case, though Barnaby never cared how hard and fast Kotetsu went. When Barnaby used his mouth Kotetsu worried about choking him and they had a plan for that too. 

In the current position Barnaby was pretty safe as he took Kotetsu's erection into his wet mouth. Kotetsu wasn't as a great angle for uncontrollable thrusting even though he still held his head in place while Barnaby rolled his dick on his tongue, stroking the underside, kissing the tip, and then taking it all back in. 

Kotetsu still wanted to fuck his mouth. All his instincts said to do so as his tail tried to curl around the back of Barnaby's head. His mouth felt amazing. His continued handling of his balls had Kotetsu biting his own lip and drawing blood in an effort to hold back cuss words. Barnaby wouldn't mind, but he still didn't like doing that.

He did let himself moan, though, especially when his balls pulled tight and he pushed Barnaby's head down so he could come, spilling himself down Barnaby's throat. He held him there too. Barnaby's mouth was hot around him and Kotetsu wanted each and every drop he leaked to land right there.

When he let go, Barnaby took his sweet time sliding off his dick even though he coughed and had to catch his breath as soon as it was out of his mouth. He stared at Kotetsu's face and then stomach, or crotch, he couldn't tell, and then leaned forward again. Before Kotetsu could tell him no, he couldn't go again so soon, Barnaby's head came to rest on his thigh.

“Bunny?” Kotetsu's hand found his head again, petting and stroking his hair. It was still damp so he couldn't comb his fingers through as easily as he would have liked. But it didn't matter as long as he could touch him. 

“I love you,” was the reply he got from Barnaby, and Kotetsu felt his cheeks heat up. 

He licked his lips somewhat nervously, tasting the blood from biting. They loved each other and it was obvious in the things they did and most of what they said, but they hadn't really said it directly to each other yet. He didn't know why, really...it didn't exactly feel like the time either, though if it was obvious, did it matter?

“Kotetsu?”

He could hear the insecurity in Barnaby's voice. He could hear him wondering if he'd made a mistake by saying that. He could also already hear Barnaby giving up if his feelings were not returned to him in his current state. 

Kotetsu couldn't do that to him. “Hey, hey, I love you too,” he told him, voice barely above a whisper. “I do.”

Barnaby let out a relieved sigh, not moving. “I was worried for a second that you wouldn't say it back.”

“Just seems like an odd time to say it, and it surprised me. I do love you, though.” He felt bad for making him worry. 

“Everything is so turned upside down lately...I just wanted to tell you before something else bad happened. That's all.” Barnaby sounded tired, and so Kotetsu very slightly wiggled his thigh. 

“Hey you, get up to the bed.”

Barnaby hugged the leg he was resting on. “I'm good here.”

“No you're not!” Kotetsu laughed gently and gave his hair a little tug. “C'mon. You sound tired. You are tired. I'm kinda spent from coming – you know how that is.” Speaking of which... “Bunny, do you need a hand now?”

“Nooo...”

“You sure? I could uh...come on.” He wiggled his thigh again and Barnaby reluctantly looked up at him. 

His eyes widened. “There's blood on your lip. You can say whatever you want, you know, you don't have to hold back.”

Kotetsu just shook his head. He pointed to the bed. “Come on, get up there and turn over. Lay on your back and wait for me, okay?”

Barnaby stood up slowly, tiredly. How was he so tired? Sure, the treadmills used up some energy, but none of them were running very fast or hard. Maybe he was tired from the blowjob, but that didn't really make sense either. 

It had to be good ol' fatigue due to deep depression, and Kotetsu wasn't sure what to do for him.

That is, he wasn't sure aside from the current bit of relief he could provide. Barnaby laid on the bed and Kotetsu stood up. Even though Barnaby had said no at first, Kotetsu could see how hard he was, his long perfect cock leaking against his belly. 

Kotetsu crawled on the bed and then Barnaby. He straddled his legs, slick and smooth from the shower and lotion. He took his time admiring him and his first act was to lean down and kiss him. “I want to appreciate you a little, first. I never do it the way I should.”

“Yes you do.”

Kotetsu nuzzled his face, his tail caressing Barnaby's legs. Having already gotten off it was hard to fight the urge to cuddle and sleep like a big lazy cat. But he wasn't going to do that to Barnaby. He kissed him again. “No, I don't. I mean, we have fun a lot, and I tell you how hot you are but...anyway, you need this right now.”

“You don't have to do this out of pity.”

“This isn't out of pity. You know better than that.” Kotetsu moved down to press his lips to that perfect chest, rubbing his cheek on it, purring without even meaning to. It just rumbled out of him as he listened to Barnaby's heartbeat and felt him breathing steadily beneath him. He felt he could stay there all day.

However, there were more pressing issues, and after lingering a short while he sat back. He took Barnaby's cock in his hand. Barnaby hadn't said anymore, merely watch him with his lips slightly parted. There was a little bit of red on them, and Kotetsu knew it was his blood from his own lip.

Kotestu used his thumb to smear the slick pre-cum over the head, rubbing and circling while his other hand played with his balls. He took Barnaby firmer in his fist and started stroking him at a slow pace. “I really do love you, you know.”

Barnaby stared at him even as his hips rose and fell with every movement of Kotetsu's hand. “I..ahhh...”

Trouble forming words – Kotetsu liked that, and he moved a little faster. Barnaby throbbed in his hand. “I'll do everything I can to make you happy.”

“Oh, god...” Barnaby grabbed the bedsheets, fisting them. It was a bit surprising since Kotetsu was only giving him a handjob but he in no way would discourage it. 

“Come, Barnaby, I know you're close. I want you to look at me too, I want you to have this memory strong in your mind.” The sexual part combined with all the things Kotetsu was telling him...he wanted Barnaby's new memories, the true ones he was building, to be good and to be honest. He wanted them to be strong.

Barnaby came hard with a loud cry, his come pouring over Kotetsu's hand. His eyes stayed open though, and his gaze locked on Kotetsu's. Even though he wanted to watch Barnaby come, Kotetsu stared right back at his gorgeous face until Barnaby's head fell back against the pillow and he swallowed.

He was done. 

Kotetsu climbed off him and without moving his head, Barnaby reached for him. “No, please...”

“I'm just going to wash my hand.” He refused to start touching Barnaby with his sticky hand. That just seemed...disrespectful, in a way, and he wanted to show the utmost respect to his partner. 

He returned to find Barnaby exactly as he left him. He cleaned him up with a tissue, threw it away, and crawled into bed. Barnaby rolled into him and Kotetsu pulled the blankets up over both of them. 

“Didn't realize a handjob would be so intense for you,” he commented with a laugh.

“It wasn't just that.” Barnaby took a breath. “I mean, it felt good, but it was the things you said as well. You made me very happy...it was overwhelming, in a good way.”

“I...oh.”

“I know that sounds weird but just...I'll never get enough of you telling me all your feelings for me.” Then he yawned. “I'm tired, or I would say more.”

“I get it.” Kotetsu was still processing it, really, but he could get it. Barnaby was experiencing things foreign to him, and in a wonderful way. “I get it,” he repeated, and kissed Barnaby's head. “Now sleep, and sweet dreams.”

\-----

Kotetsu and Barnaby slept for a few hours, waking up at an odd time of night. Neither of them were happy about it – especially Kotetsu. He felt...strange. He felt like they'd woken up at such a time for a reason but not a good one. His hair didn't stand on end, but he felt a little sick to his stomach.

Barnaby had gotten up for some milk. He thought it would help make him drowsy since he usually had milk before he went to bed every night. Kotetsu had just nodded when Barnaby asked if he'd like some too. He didn't have any real before-bed rituals aside from snuggling the crap out of his soft, sweet Barnaby. They had woken up in each others arms. Maybe they just needed milk AND cuddling. 

He wasn't that dumb. 

As Barnaby poured the milk Kotetsu turned on the television. Perhaps a late night show, or listening to the music channel would soothe them and send them back to sleep. He flipped through the channels and found the news.   
...He didn't really want to watch it, but he figured it would be good to find out what else was going on in the city. There wasn't much – something about stocks, something about more searches being done around the research place...Barnaby's building was one of the places searched. Maybe even his apartment too. Kotetsu didn't like to think about their privacy being invaded like that but he knew the detectives and law enforcement in the city did have a job they had to do. 

He was barely paying attention when the police announced they had found the body of an older woman the previous day after a neighbor called the police to say she hadn't seen or talked to her in a few days. A Samantha Taylor had been found, beaten with a gunshot wound and...

Wait.

Samantha...wasn't Barnaby's aunt, the one he was worried about, named Samantha?

Barnaby came in from the kitchen, not looking at the screen. The story changed anyway as they went back to continuing coverage in cleaning up from the explosions. The area still looked hellish. What a mess...Kotetsu was just happy to know most of it was building debris and not leftovers of human beings even if a few had been killed.

He waited until Barnaby had set down the drinks before he brought up anything. He considered, very briefly, not telling Barnaby about what he just saw, but he would find out eventually. “Bunny...I just saw some troubling news,” he said, starting to bite his lip. He felt a bit of pain from his actions hours ago and stopped. 

“Yes?” Barnaby asked, sitting on the bed and trying to get comfortable. 

“Your aunt, the one you've been wanting and waiting to hear from...Samantha Taylor, right?”

Barnaby knew something was wrong. Kotetsu knew that right away with the intense way Barnaby settled his gaze on him. “...Yes. Why do you bring her up?” he asked very slowly. 

Kotetsu was scared to tell him. His instinct said not to. It said to keep his damn mouth shut. “Um, she's been found dead,” he said simply. A little bit of panic had settled in and he had to expand, but he was hesitant.

The few seconds Barnaby took to answer were dreadful. And when he did speak, every word was crisp and direct. “And how do you know this?”

Kotetsu pointed at the television. “It-it was on the news just now. She was found murdered...”

“Murdered!?” Barnaby said loudly. “...MURDERED!?” He yelled it the second time and immediately got on his feet. He looked at the window, not out it as the curtains were still covering it, but he stared at those. Then he turned to Kotetsu and advanced on him quickly and menacingly. “You saw, this, you're sure? Kotetsu, I swear, you better have seen this story with your own eyes, you better not have been half-listening and thought-”

“Bunny! Of course I saw it!” Kotetsu stayed still no matter how badly he wanted to back away. “Do you really think I would say this if I wasn't sure? That's ridiculous!” 

“You're sure!?” he asked, grabbing Kotetsu's arm a little too tightly, his glare intense.

“I-why are you glaring at me?” Kotetsu couldn't help feeling a little angry, even if he was still nervous. He ripped his arm out of Barnaby's grip and growled right at him. “I saw it! She was found, and they didn't say who did it!” He knew he should feel more pity, and he did feel a lot of sadness for Barnaby, but it was hard to back down. 

“Because...because....!” Barnaby clenched his fists, looked around, reached for the remote, and then withdrew, all the while his breath coming short and fast like it did when he had a nightmare or panic attack. Kotetsu still had a low growl persisting in his throat and he watched every move of Barnaby's. He was worried while ready to defend himself if he had to.

No, Barnaby wouldn't attack him. His growl subsided. “Bunny?”

“I want to break something!” Barnaby cried, and his eyes fell on the glasses of milk he had just filled. 

Kotetsu's eyes went wide and he reached out quickly, snatching Barnaby's hand. “Hey, hey! No, don't start breaking stuff! That-”

“-Won't bring her back? I don't care!”

“You will afterwards, after you've thrown the tantrum and feel bad!”

Barnaby looked at him. Kotetsu looked back. Barnaby's look was of anger, nostrils flaring, eyes burning, cheeks red...he wasn't shaking, but Kotetsu was sure that would be the next step. Kotetsu was also sure he wouldn't actually get violent, even with his initial approach, but he didn't want to take a chance. He would never admit it to Barnaby, but there was still a lot they didn't know and maybe, just maybe, there was a violent streak in there that had been controlled before. 

“I...”

“You need to sit down.”

“That's the last thing I need!”

“Bunny you need to calm down, for your own sake! You will stress yourself out, to the point of feeling sick or having an attack! Listen, I am very, very sorry for you. I didn't even want to tell you because it's too horrible, especially with everything as it is...but you will only harm yourself if you don't calm down!”

Barnaby closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “I want to break something, or hurt someone, or do....I can't just sit still! Kotetsu, my whole family is gone now, I can't handle this, I CAN'T!” The last words were nearly screamed and he held his free hand to his head. “I CAN'T I CAN'T!”

That was when the shaking started, along with the very loud crying – wailing, really. Barnaby was having a breakdown and Kotetsu finally hopped up to hold him. Barnaby pushed him away at first, backing toward the couch and hitting it with the back of his foot. He stood still and cried into his hand, tears slipping between his fingers. 

“Bunny, Bunny...”

“I can't stop!”

“Sssshh, that's okay, you cry as much as you need to, as loud as you need to. I'm here.”

“Maybe I need to be alone,” Barnaby sobbed.

“No,” Kotetsu responded immediately. He refused to walk away and leave Barnaby to his own devices. He trusted Barnaby, while at the same time, didn't trust what he might do. He didn't want him to throw that tantrum he'd been considering, he didn't want him to hurt himself, and he didn't want him to run off. 

Any of those was a possibility and he wouldn't be able to forgive himself for letting Barnaby do any of them. 

Barnaby did stop resisting his arms, but he didn't hug him back. He could only hold his face, while the hand in Kotetsu's grasp twitched every few seconds. He wanted to move it and Kotetsu knew he would only raise it to cover his face more, but he didn't let go. 

Kotetsu let him cry. And cry, and cry, and cry some more, moving his arms when he needed to and shifting from leg to leg. Somehow Barnaby had the energy and willpower to remain on his feet. Kotetsu would have crumpled to the floor by then. 

After a good hour of it Barnaby had gone into whimpers and slight trembling, and had one arm around Kotetsu's waist. It was either for comfort or balance. There was really no telling. “Kotetsu, I want to go,” he said, muffled.

With a little groan from standing mostly still the whole time, Kotetsu leaned back to try and see Barnaby's face. He had it covered. “Go where?”

“Away from here. I want to go out there and find Maverick, and make him stop. I want them all to stop. Why is this still happening? Wasn't the whole point to boost HeroTV ratings? Now they've been found out...” He hiccuped and sniffed, lowering his hand.

Kotetsu didn't answer any of his questions. He knew Barnaby didn't think it was actually all that easy. He was smarter than that. “We don't have a plan and we don't know enough about their choices. We still don't exactly know why they exploded that research place.” He was sure that at least had an obvious and blatant answer – Ouroboros didn't approve of the control that could be held over NEXT abilities if it wasn't coming from them. 

Ouroboros was still very mysterious, but a lot of investigative work had been done upon his return, and much of Ouroboros was made up of NEXTs who really hated normal people, and some normal people who wished they could be NEXTs. There were also plenty of good ol' rotten criminals, but even they had their place – lowlives were excellent pawns for a large organization like Ouroboros. They needed people who could do dirty work or be distractions. 

“We can make a plan once we get out and see everything with our own eyes.”

“Bunny, we can't just leave, they want us to stay here and-”

“So!?” Barnaby lowered his hand, his eyes so red and puffy from crying that Kotetsu cringed. “We're here to be protected, but we are not prisoners. We have every right to leave. They think we're valuable, and that's great, but we also have free will and I refuse to give that up!”

“I know, but...but...people look up to us and..well, we shouldn't just go out there ready and willing to get hurt...” Kotetsu said it weakly, because he knew they would be leaving. Whatever he said, they were going, because he knew Barnaby needed to leave that hotel suite or he would go crazy. He was wasting away inside it, held together by Kotetsu, but the recent news was too much. 

“Kotetsu...” Barnaby raised those sad eyes to look up at him, begging him. 

He was in no condition for leaving right away. “Alright, Bunny – but you need to rest first.”

Barnaby gave the bed a frown, and then an outright unhappy look that ended up directed at Kotetsu. “Back to bed?”

“Uh huh. You just stood and cried for an hour. You must be mentally exhausted. I'm feeling it, just from holding you. I need to sit down, but we both need sleep. You know this, Bunny.”

Barnaby took a deep breath, and nodded. He stepped away and that was when he wobbled on his feet. His eye shot wide open and he grabbed the arm of the couch. “I guess I do need it.”

Kotetsu nodded and smiled gently. He decided to get their drinks even if they were warm, and handed Barnaby his when he sat on the bed. “Here. Drink this, lay down, and I'll be right there with you,” he told him. 

“Thank you,” Barnaby said with a tired voice, looking at Kotetsu. All the harshness had gone out of his gaze. 

He drained his cup, laid down, and wrapped his arms around Kotetsu.

\---------

When they woke up, it was light out. Bright and early in the morning, just after seven. As tempting as it was to lay around in bed and do nothing but kiss Barnaby, Kotetsu knew he had to wake him up and they had to go. Where? He didn't know. He had some very vague ideas, but they were shaky at best. Lloyds and Agnes were in the hotel so there was no point going to Apollon. Crime was down and normal life was starting to come back in the city, so they didn't have an enemy to target. 

Barnaby woke up quickly, eager to go. They dressed warmly and pocketed their normal things, plus some very small things they had in the luggage – like chapstick. They also took bottled water from the room. It wasn't like they were going into the wilderness – they could step into a convenience store if they needed to. They just wanted to avoid being found and cornered by anyone, good or bad. 

Getting out without being noticed was easy. Kotetsu and Barnaby went down a stairwell instead of the elevator, and on the first floor there was an exit that led to he back parking lot. They went out that way, took a look at the few cars parked there, and found the sidewalk. They could see the bridge from there, the way out of the city. They could also see the men posted there, pacing back and forth and checking any vehicles that approached. Did that mean people could leave the city?

...Even if so, Kotetsu couldn't go. He hoped he could soon. His heart ached to see his daughter, even just call her on the phone, but he was unwilling to put her in danger. She hadn't left his mind even with the distractions. Knowing she was safe allowed him to think about other impending things. 

He hoped soon he could think about how to tell his mother and daughter that he was in love with Barnaby, and he was pretty much part of the family. It didn't matter it hadn't been long. That had never mattered.

Thinking about it made him take Barnaby's hand as they walked. Barnaby looked at him and smiled. Kotetsu smiled back. It was a nice day to be walking. The morning was crisp and cool, but the sun was out and it would warm up. Kotetsu felt optimistic. 

“So where are we going?” Barnaby asked. 

“Well...” Kotetsu had been thinking about it as they left. “We haven't been by my apartment in a while, you know?” 

“We don't need another place to sleep.”

“...Well that's a terrible lie, we will need it later. But I meant, we should see if there's anything going on there. I don't know what, but I also dunno where else to go.”

“Hmmm. That's smart.”

Kotetsu blinked. “Are you suggesting I'm usually dumb?”

Barnaby squeezed his hand and laughed. “No. You do have your moments, but you're not dumb. Ah...” He nodded straight ahead. “We've been seen.”

Two people on the sidewalk, normal looking civilians carrying coffees and dressed in thick coats were looking at them and talking quietly. They then started to approach them. Kotetsu didn't feel too good about it. 

It was one young man with curly brown hair, ready to bloom into an afro. The woman had dyed dark blue hair that hung down past her shoulders. She spoke first. “Are you two Kotetsu and Barnaby, the heroes!?”

“Uh...” Kotetsu hesitated. He hated that people knew his real name after he turned into a human again. 

Barnaby didn't. He nodded. “We are.” 

“Where have you two been!?” she asked, though she didn't sound accusatory. She sounded excited. 

“We've been trying to figure things out.”

“Between each other?” the girl asked. 

“Yo, you two a couple or not?” the man asked.

Oh, God. Did they really have to get into that? Even if it was obvious...they were even holding hands... “Yes,” Kotetsu answered gruffly. 

“That is awesome!” declared the girl. The man didn't say anything, but at least he didn't look put off.

“Uh, sure. Look, it's awesome you approve. We need to go though.” Kotetsu started to take a step forward. 

“Where?” The man sort of gestured around them. “There's nothing going on. After the buildings were demolished, it's all been quiet. There's no crime to stop.”

The girl chimed in. “Not even petty ones. It's actually really freaky, like they're gonna launch something big.”

“I would not be surprised. But we just don't know what that will be, if anything,” Barnaby said, pushing up his glasses with his free hand. Kotetsu could just feel him losing his patience. Barnaby was really not one for small talk with strangers. He hated it. 

“This is why we need to get going. We want to check out some things.”

“So you two are back on the scene now!?” the girl asked excitedly. 

Barnaby was looking around and his fingers twitched against Kotetsu's hand. Kotetsu looked too...there were more people starting to look in their direction. “Um, undecided...I'm sorry, but we gotta go. Don't mean to be rude but-”

He was cut off as Barnaby pulled on him suddenly. “Thanks for the concern. Bye,” he said to the two people and it was the fakest 'see ya later' Kotetsu had even seen in his life. He kind of half waved at the two people. They hadn't been nasty or even too nosy, and even as they watched them leave, they looked surprised but happy as opposed to angry. 

Kotetsu was glad that they didn't seem angry at the two for vanishing off the scene for a couple of days. 

They attracted more looks as they walked, and Barnaby pulled his red coat tighter around him as if it had any effect. They were down a few blocks and he had released Kotetsu's hand by then. Kotetsu had his hand shoved in his pocket. He yearned for contact from Barnaby, but he could see how anxious his lover already was and so he did not press.

They were offered rides. They considered taking them since it was a biiit of a walk to Kotetsu's old place, which was not in one of the richer neighborhoods. Police even passed by them slowly on the street, looking like they wanted to pull over and talk but it was as Barnaby had said earlier: They were not prisoners. They had not been held against their will. They were given a place to be safe, and leaving was their own decision. No one really made them do anything. 

Kotetsu's phone rang. He answered it, and got blasted by Agnes saying she saw him on the television and just what the HELL did he think he was doing!? Looking around he did see people with cameras, and it scared him a little...it meant the bad guys saw their every move.

He hung up on Agnes who was in mid-scream and informed Barnaby, who just shrugged. 

Well, they were going to do what they needed to do. 

It took a lot of walking. More stares, and even Barnaby's phone rang. “I'll answer it when we reach your home,” Barnaby had told Kotetsu when he urged him to answer it. 

“But what if it's something we need to know now!?”

“I can guarantee it is either Agnes or Lloyds calling to yell at us. They are the only people who would be calling me.” 

That much was true. Kotetsu could get called by family or Antonio or even one of the other heroes, so he had to check his phone if it rang. It didn't. Everyone he knew was probably asleep or preoccupied. His mother was probably awake and watching the news but knew not to call him. 

He felt bad about that even if he knew he really shouldn't.

They got to his place. They went up the steps, which were intact. The hallways were fine, and he could hear other tenants moving around...which wasn't totally welcome since his sensitive hearing picked up some pretty gross sounding morning prep noises. At Barnaby's place, his walls were thick and he was situated in such a way that they were never really near other people. Kotetsu would vaguely hear them if at all. 

His apartment was such a mess. Broken glass, broken everything. His tv was busted, plates broken, appliances knocked over and smashed. It was painful to look at no matter how many times he saw it.

They had to be careful going in. Aside from getting injured on broken things, there was always the possibility of someone hiding out there.

Barnaby had been there twice with Kotetsu, and as they walked in he wore the same guilty look he'd had those first two times. Kotetsu noticed it right away. “It's not your fault.”

“I'm sure some of it is.”

“Bunny, I've told you, they knew who I was and were set to punish me before you ever happened into my tower. This would have happened regardless.” He sighed as he picked up a little blue, smiling plastic tiger figure he'd brought from his last visit with Kaede. He'd bought it himself to remember the event, but when picking and choosing what to bring to Barnaby's apartment, it got left behind. 

And he still had no good way to bring it with him. 

He set it carefully on a shelf that held books. Miraculously those books were untouched. “Looks the same here as it has looked.” He had hoped they would find...something. 

“Let us check every room.” Barnaby looked sad as he started to climb Kotetsu's stairs. He was extra sad the other times as well, when going to Kotetsu'ss bedroom. Kotetsu knew it was because he saw that bed and wondered about being there with Kotetsu too, even if his own apartment was superior he wanted to cuddle up to Kotetsu in his private space again. They had never returned to the tower, and there really was a special 'feeling' there.

Barnaby must have felt it when going to the bedroom. 

Kotetsu followed slowly. He didn't really like seeing the torn up pillows and the blankets on the dirty floor. He dragged himself up the steps – until Barnaby yelled his name.

“What is it?” he asked, heading up faster. 

“Look!” Barnaby was pointing at his bed, which looked...looked...well, it wasn't made, but the blankets weren't on the floor. It looked slept in. There were some food wrappers and some papers. 

“Oh. Homeless person probably got in.” As uncomfortable as he should have been over a stranger in his bed, Kotetsu didn't mind terribly. It was cold out, and if someone used his home to stay warm and safe and dry, that was alright. He'd rather have his apartment back or move out completely, but...

“No, no, these papers!” Barnaby knelt down. 

Kotetsu did too and made a face as he felt his tail caress some sharp glass. It stung a bit...but his attention immediately went to a paper Barnaby was pointing out.

There was a list of names, along with addresses and information on NEXT powers. It was a list of NEXTs, really, and Kotetsu made a face. He....he didn't like that. And on top of that, he was sure he knew where it came from and it made his stomach hurt. “Oh, God...Bunny, is that...”

“Maverick's list? Yes, it is, I recognize it. These names are checked off,” he said, pointing to some light pen marks on the paper. 

“I...is he killing them? Kidnapping them? What's going on!?” Kotetsu placed a hand on Barnaby's shoulder.

“Do you think I know?” Barnaby asked, voice soft and without an edge. It surprised Kotetsu. He sounded very lost again though, which was worrying. Barnaby started to look through the papers. “Ah, wait, not each name is checked, and there's some scribbles on the addresses...I wonder if this person is trying to warn them? Hmmm...ah!”

He felt Barnaby startle under his hand. “What is it?” Barnaby pointed at a name. “Perry...” Kotetsu said the name, knew it sounded familiar, and after a couple of seconds it actually hit him and he read his powers. “Perry! I...he wasn't on the list before, right? Just his brother?” Kotetsu had not seen Perry since the day he pulled him out of his tiger form. He was grateful and would have been eager to keep contact, but Perry hadn't given him a number or anything. 

He preferred being off the radar and staying safe.

It was worrying to know he hadn't succeeded. His name wasn't checked off at least, and whatever that meant, Kotetsu hoped it was good. 

“He was not on the list,” Barnaby confirmed. 

That list...it was wrong to even look at it. Kotetsu tried not to remember any of the names he read at a glance. The only one that mattered was Perry. “We need to warn him.”

“About what?” Barnaby sighed. “We don't know what this list means, you know? Maybe we shouldn't go to him.”

Kotetsu stroked his beards. There was no telling what move would be the right one but...he felt like going would be best. If Ouroboros was looking for some control over NEXTs, maybe they were looking to 'thin the herd' so to speak, to choose the people loyal to them. Perry had helped Kotetsu and Barnaby and thus he was probably disloyal. “Bunny, let's go to him. My gut tells me-”

“Your gut.”

“You know my gut feeling! And you know it's usually a good idea to follow that!” At least, it hadn't led them wrong before. Even Barnaby confessed to a couple of gut feelings. And hell, Kotetsu had gained tiger instincts too – sort of...

Barnaby shook Kotetsu off and stood up slowly, still holding the paper. “You...are...right. But, do you think we should stay and wait for whoever has been sleeping here?”

“Mmmm. No.” Kotetsu shook his head. “Someone has been here, but if they see us or see we've been here, I don't know that they will come back. Besides, we will probably just waste time that might end up hurting Perry.”

“Understandable.” Barnaby started to walk around him and stopped. “Oh...Kotetsu...”

“Hmm?”

“Your tail,” Barnaby said, pointing. 

Kotetsu moved his tail around his leg, looked down, and saw blood a few inches from the tip. It had stung a moment ago. “Ah...oops.” He had cut himself on the glass and it was bleeding pretty good. It didn't really hurt anymore and it wasn't a deep cut, but enough so he knew he had to bandage it. “It was just the glass.”

“We need to get you a bandaid! Or...er...a wrap of some sort.”

Kotetsu nodded. “Come on, let's go to my bathroom and see if there's stuff there.”

Barnaby nodded and they went back downstairs to the bathroom. It was wet and gross in there, with trash and more broken things. Kotetsu stopped at the doorway and Barnaby touched his back. “Let's just go to a store.”

“But I'm sure I have-”

“A messy, destroyed bathroom where you could injure yourself further. You also have no real good place to sit and dress your wound, so, let's go.”

“Ah...” Kotetsu looked at the floor, still half-wanting to go in. He was starting to feel that sadness he hadn't felt in a while, that sadness that his home had been broken and intruded on. His place where he had spent time thinking of Tomoe, talking to Kaede, coming to rest after tough days...

Maybe it would be best if he left, so after Barnaby calmly stroked his back several times, Kotetsu turned and agreed they should go. He noticed Barnaby had the paper from his bedroom in his hand. He didn't like that. When he said so, Barnaby folded it and put it in his pocket. It had names and addresses on it, and personal information. However, he knew Barnaby would not lose it or let it fall in the wrong hands.

They went on the street...where people were waiting for them. Interviewers, ready to shove mics in their faces, police, and onlookers gathered. Kotetsu paused on the stairs of the building. “Ugh...maybe we should use our powers and get the hell outta here.”

“What? Don't be ridiculous. We'll need those later, I'm sure.”

“Within the next hour?”

“Perhaps.”

Kotetsu growled but he didn't answer. He just followed Barnaby's lead. The interviewers came forward and immediately the police were separating people and trying to keep them from swarming the two heroes. 

“Kotetsu! Barnaby! Where have you been!?” one woman asked. 

“Have you talked to any members of Ouroboros?” asked another.

A third chimed in. “How's your relationship doing with all this stress?”

Barnaby was finally prompted to say something at least, though he had no wish to say very much. “No comment.”

So naturally, the crowd turned to Kotetsu. He knew he should say the same thing, but he wanted people to know, if they needed to be so nosy, that he and Barnaby were doing just fine together. He would allow no horrible rumours. “Our relationship is fine, perhaps even closer.”

Barnaby gave him a meaningful look. 

“...No further comment,” Kotetsu added. 

“Are you going after Maverick!?” the second interviewer asked loudly as Kotetsu and Barnaby were almost out of the immediate crowd of people.

Barnaby stopped and turned, glaring at her. Kotetsu stopped too, just watching his face. “Are we...”

The first one spoke up again. “Are you aware he is no longer in jail, and probably somewhere in the city?”

“HE ESCAPED!?” Barnaby asked loudly, and his glare went to Kotetsu. 

“Wha-I didn't know! When was this!?” he asked, stomping toward the first interviewer, who stepped back even though he stopped a few feet from her. 

“When the building exploded!” she answered.

“WHAT!?” Barnaby shouted, stomping over too. “We were not told right away?”

The third spoke up, his voice weak. “W-well, no one realized it until the next day and...where have you been that you haven't heard the news?”

“I watched TV but avoided the news...” Kotetsu shuffled awkwardly, feeling anxiety absolutely shoot through him, his entire body stiff and his mind racing. He hadn't watched the news. No one called them. And of course they didn't – Barnaby would have left the hotel even sooner!

The day suddenly felt colder.

“No one told us, no one FUCKING told us!” Barnaby yelled, looking ready to punch, well, anyone and everyone.

“Bunny...”

“We have to find him, we HAVE to!” Barnaby continued, and Kotetsu could see voice recorders had been turned on, as had cameras, and people were taking notes. 

“That's enough, we need to go,” Kotetsu said, grabbing Barnaby's coat.

Barnaby's reaction was a shout and following that he lit up with his blue glow. He took off into the sky like a damn missile, and for a moment everyone, including Kotetsu, was just staring after him in surprise. Kotetsu then activated himself and took off. He would lose track of Barnaby otherwise, and he could not let that happen. 

Once in the air he could see Barnaby on a roof, hopping to another, another, another – Kotetsu followed him, each and every one. He saw Barnaby bolt down a couple of alleys, and he followed. He saw him checking some known criminal hideouts that were nearby, he saw him scare the shit out of people hiding there, but none of them were Maverick so he did nothing but look. 

He was really freaking out, but he kept his head enough to search. He may not have been searching well, but it was better than aimless jumping and crying. 

When Barnaby had stopped, he was in front of a large fountain that led into a local park. The park was always a bit of a sad sight at the end of the year, but it reminded Kotetsu of Perry's garden – even as the plants died and trees shed their leaves, the decoration and general set-up was attractive enough. It didn't outbalance the plants, but was still nice.

The fountain had three 'levels' pouring down over each other, not to be turned off until it got colder. The middle featured a minotaur statue, bearing the weight of the top part of the fountain on his shoulders. 

Barnaby walked over to it, put his hands on the edge, and nearly leaned his head into the water. Kotetsu jumped forward to stop him, his glow fading away. “Bunny!”

“I won't get my head wet.”

“Good – but – hey.” He stood next to him, hand raised to touch his back, and the reconsidered. Barnaby was...he was not okay. It would be stupid to ask if he was and that was just what Kotetsu was about to do. He knew they both had the feeling Maverick was no longer in jail or would not stay there for very much longer, but having it confirmed was very hard on Barnaby. “We'll get him, you know.”

“I know, and I don't want to see him. We WILL see him. He will be looking for me. That awful man will never leave me alone...as long as he is alive.”

“Bunny?”

“I want to kill him.”

It was like something stabbed his heart. Kotetsu didn't like that, he didn't like it one bit. Barnaby was his soft, sweet lover, a person who had bathed him as a tiger, asked him to dance, cuddled up to him...helped him. He was tough, sure, and determined, and a damn good fighter! But he wasn't a killer. 

“Please don't do that,” Kotetsu said quietly. “Please, Bunny, it'll be even worse for you if you do that,” he told him. 

“How would you know? My head...my head is a mess. I don't even remember jumping away from the crowd back there. All I felt was rage and loss.”

Kotetsu felt dread as he prepared to tell Barnaby something he told absolutely no one. “I don't know how your head is, honestly, I don't, but killing is bad. I've killed by accident before on a call.”

Barnaby whipped his head around so fast that it had to be painful. His gaze landed on Kotetsu's face, studying, measuring. “You've...killed? But we...it wasn't on your record.”

“No, it was not, it was early in my career and they decided to not put it on there. It was an accident.” And not something he liked remembering, something he never thought about. “I had to stop the bad guy and...was responsible for knocking him off a building when no one could save him.” 

“...Oh. So you didn't shoot him, or stab him, or...”

“It's still not a good feeling, to be responsible for someone's life, and I don't want to think about it!” Kotetsu yelled, rather suddenly, as he felt even more panic than he had felt before Barnaby fled. He hated that memory. He blocked it so hard, he forgot the incident ever happened, which was unusual for him – he punished himself over so many things, but he couldn't handle that. “Please...it was an accident, and something that may not have been preventable in the situation, but I don't enjoy thinking about it. Other heroes have done it too-”

“It is in the nature of the job.”

“...Yes. But it feels horrible and...and...don't do it!” he yelled again, and then grabbed at his own jacket, his fingers, tail twitching and his nerves going haywire. He did not feel good. 

Barnaby did not feel good either. They both felt like crap, and for a few minutes neither of them spoke. 

“I need to sit down.” Barnaby stared at the fountain and didn't move, even as he spoke. “I really, really need to sit down, I need...I need my medicine.”

“The stuff that calms you down?” Kotetsu asked, well aware of what Barnaby was talking about, and Barnaby nodded. “I don't know what we can do about that...” Barnaby hadn’t been able to take it in days since they’d been without his stuff at the hotel. That was probably a part of why he was even worse than usual. 

Barnaby stepped back from the fountain. “We need to find a pharmacy, and we need to find it now,” he declared, and started walking away. 

“Ah...do you think you can just walk in and get pills like that?” Kotetsu asked, wanting to stop Barnaby. He didn't even attempt it, though. Barnaby was going to walk away if he damn well pleased and there was not a thing Kotetsu could do about it...even if Barnaby's thought process didn't exactly make sense. 

“Do you really think anyone who knows me will deny me once I tell them what I need?”

That was the side Kotetsu didn't like. Barnaby didn't show it all too often, especially not around him, but the arrogance and expectations that he could get anything he wanted with his name was obnoxious. “Sure, if they don't have your prescription. There's rules for a reason. Maybe we can find something over the counter.”

“Rules. Right.”

Kotetsu did grab his arm then. “Bunny, stop.” They were on the sidewalk, again, and there were other people on the street. There wasn't a crowd and no one was walking near them, but heads still turned and Kotetsu knew their luck could quickly change. 

“I need-”

“STOP.” Kotetsu licked his lips. “Stop the attitude. It's not going to help. You'll only piss someone off, and do you want to show such an entitled, mean side to people in this city? Look, we'll find something to calm you down, but you can't just march into a store and demand special treatment, especially when it involves drugs of some sort. That's crazy, Bunny.”

“I'm not crazy,” Barnaby practically growled, and that was unsettling. 

“I'm not saying YOU'RE crazy, just that the thought is and I...well, look, let's just go somewhere and see if we can find something for you.” Kotetsu sighed and let go off Barnaby. He started walking before Barnaby, who took his turn following.

It seemed a little silly to be going to the pharmacy, just going shopping and wandering the city, but what else were they supposed to do? He still had to bandage his tail...

It wasn't long before they found a store with a pharmacy in it. It was nothing special, one of those stores that sold come groceries and toys and home items. Barnaby had trailed after Kotetsu in what he assumed was an ashamed silence after Kotetsu had lectured him. He felt a little bad but...

One of the important things he had to keep in mind about their relationship was their ages. Barnaby was a good ten years younger than him. He was a smart guy, and acted pretty mature for his age, but sometimes his thoughts seemed a little young and hot-headed, like aforementioned thought of entitlement. That wasn't the way things worked. Maybe Barnaby was right, that who he was would get him a special pass even when it came to something as serious as medication, but Kotetsu didn't want him to learn that the behavior was okay, that it was acceptable.

They were heroes, but they were not above doing what normal people did as part of their every day lives. Kotetsu did not expect five-star meals served on a golden platter nor did he demand limos as his rides from point a to point b. He had never been like that and never planned to be. 

The cashiers stared at them as they walked by. They whispered, they pointed, and Kotetsu offered them all a wave and a smile. He also was not above common courtesy. If Barnaby greeted them, he did not turn around to see it.

They went through the snack isle – his stomach growled – and Kotetsu grabbed a bag of pretzels. He saw Barnaby give him a look. “What? I'm hungry,” he grumbled. “Tigers gotta eat you know.” 

Barnaby offered a shrug, then a defeated sigh as he reached for a bag of trail mix. He probably thought it was healthier than the pretzels. 

They approached the pharmacy, and Kotetsu hung back. They didn't need to be up there intimidating and overwhelming anyone, and he wasn't sure Barnaby would want Kotetsu just hanging out there and listening to him list his medications or whatever, even if he could read the labels anytime in his apartment. It might even be important someday to know them but...but he felt weird about it right that moment.

Barnaby talked, frowned, talked some more, looked like he was going to get worked up...then he sighed, thanked the pharmacist, and walked away. He walked up to Kotetsu looking bummed. “He said even if they could fill it without getting permission for get my information from my current pharmacy, it would take a while to prep it. And it'd have to get in line because there are a lot of people ahead of me...” 

Kotetsu frowned. He had expected that, but, still... “I see.”

“Well, he did give me some suggestions.” 

“Oh yea?”

“A few, but mostly he suggested benadryl.”

“But...that's for allergies.”

“It can help with sleep and soothe stress, this is something I have actually known for a while, but I didn't think of it.” Barnaby turned away and started scanning the shelves. “It may make me tired. It has in the past.”

“Oh...so...so maybe we ought to find somewhere to rest, after this.”

“I would rather not, I am too...we need to find Maverick.”

Kotetsu couldn't help a small smile. “You do know the whole point of being in here is so we can find something to stop those feelings and get you in a better place, right?”

“I'm not going to be in a better place anytime soon.”

“I agree. After this is all over, when things get back to normal, and when Maverick is rotting in a jail cell, we're getting you actual therapy.”

“No.”

“This isn't up for discussion,” Kotetsu said. Barnaby was looking at him, so Kotetsu stepped past him found the benadryl, and picked it up. “Okay. This, our snacks, some water, and let's go.”

“Bandages, too, Kotetsu. We need to take care of your tail.”

“Oh, right.” It still didn't hurt, so Kotetsu had sort of forgotten about it. Admittedly, he also had that feeling that his pain wasn't as important as Barnaby's. “Well, some stuff for that, and then we figure out where to go.”

“Perry's?” Barnaby suggested.

Kotetsu shook his head. He didn't remember the full address, but it would be quite the walk and really, they just needed somewhere warm and peaceful to hang out and get Barnaby feeling better. “No, no. We're not doing anymore searching today. We're taking care of my injury and your mind.”

“You're making me sound crazy, again.”

“No.” Kotetsu walked with Barnaby down the isle so they could get bandages. “People get anxious and nervous and depressed. I've felt it strongly. That's not crazy. Crazy was your unreal expectations earlier, not taking care of yourself.”

“Sometimes...sometimes I forget you've been depressed,” Barnaby said in a low voice. “I mean, I always remember it, but sometimes you seem to relaxed and happy that...well, I don't know how to put it.”

“I get it. And I have been feeling better now that I am human again, and being with you. I feel and act happier. There was a big positive change in my life, it counts for a lot.”

“Ah, that makes me sound bad...”

That was strange. “Huh? Why?”

“Because you were a big positive change in my life.”

Oh. “True, but Bunny, that came hand in hand with discovering you've been lied to your whole life. That came along with discovering the truth about Maverick, your parents, all sorts of stuff.”

“Ah...”

Barnaby was checking out again, so with a hand on his back Kotetsu steered him toward the register. They rang up their goods and left, to see people watching them. Ooooof course. Well, Kotetsu tried to hold back from contacting people, but he knew he had to do it – he whipped out his phone and called Ben.


	4. Love Shack

Ben picked up right away, not bothering with a normal hello. “You should not have left that hotel. They went nuts as soon as they saw you two on television. Even worse, criminal activity started up again, small robberies and fires.”

“...” Well that was a loaded hello. It didn't help at all in Kotetsu's current stressed and upset state. He knew it would be even worse on Barnaby, so he made the decision not to tell him yet. “Ah, yea, listen, I need a favor.”

“...Is that all you have to say to what I just told you?”

“No, and I'll get to that sometime.” He could already see Barnaby giving him an odd look, so he decided to focus on the obvious thing. “Look, sorry we left the hotel and pissed people off. We needed to get out. It was the best thing for Bunny and I, okay?”

“Not for the city. Looks like they wanted you guys to stay quiet. You should have waited until the police and officials had figured some more things out.”

“Well, we couldn't and now we're out, so what does it matter! How about...how about you come pick us up.”

“...What?”

“Well you can lecture me more once you get here.”

“Good point. Where are you, Kotetsu?”

Kotetsu gave him their location, averting his gaze from Barnaby. He had realized in a matter of seconds he couldn't keep it from him. When Ben got there, he'd let Barnaby know bad shit was happening while he got mad at Kotetsu. There was no going around it...

But he still didn't tell them while they waited even as Barnaby prodded. He just said Ben was mad at them for leaving the hotel and left it at that so he could fall into his own thoughts. He didn't even try to talk about anything, they just sat on a bench outside the store and tried to avoid looking at anyone. People approached them, asked things, and Kotetsu ignored them. Barnaby did too, and people would call them assholes and leaves.

Just around the time some people showed up with cameras, Ben pulled up in his taxi. Kotetsu was grateful and he had to shake Barnaby. He hadn't fallen asleep, but his eyes were closed and he didn't respond at first when Kotetsu said their ride was there.

They climbed into the backseat of the cab and took off. 

Ben started in on them immediately. “When you two were first seen, a bank was robbed. After that, a fire at another bank. They are not happy, and people have been getting hurt.”

“W-what?” Barnaby asked, finally paying attention. “There's been crime since we started walking around on the street!?”

“Uh-huh. They wanted you two to stay away, big time. Maverick is out somewhere, but I don't think it was his escape that triggered this.” He looked at them both in his rear view mirror. “Why couldn't you have just stayed there?”

“They killed his last remaining family member,” Kotetsu explained, even as Barnaby nudged him to try and keep him quiet. “Bunny, I can tell him!”

“I'm not going to go blurting your secrets, kiddo,” Ben told Barnaby. “Kotetsu knows he can trust me or he wouldn't tell me anything like that.”

“Yea! And anyway, well, he couldn't sit still. We had to go right away. I mean, we had to do something Ben. We're heroes, we can't just stay cooped up and not doing anything when the city isn't feeling so safe, even if nothing was happening. They would do something eventually, we're just being used as an excuse.” Kotetsu felt so smart. 

“Mmm, well, it would have given city officials more time to figure out what those things were, and now people are busy and using up other resources for this.”

Kotetsu felt not so smart. 

“So Maverick is free, there is chaos, and it's all because of us.” Barnaby had turned to look out the window.

Kotetsu could feel him breaking and he didn't like it. He moved to loosen his tail up and flick it at Barnaby. “Hey, can you help me out now? We're just sitting here...”

“You get yourself hurt already?” Ben asked in a slightly teasing tone.

“I just dragged it over some glass.”

Barnaby turned to him, looked at his tail, and then rustled in the bag. Then he paused. “Ah...we have some cleansing solution, but we have no neosporin, and no soap and water...”

“You don't have to be so exact. It might be slightly irritating, especially since we can't get my fur away from the cut but...just clean it and wrap it and then it'll be safe.”

Barnaby nodded slowly, pulling a cotton ball out of a bag. He opened up the solution as Kotetsu laid his tail across his lap. Barnaby stroked it soothingly for a few seconds before touching the damp cotton ball to the wound.

It was a little bigger than he had thought, Kotetsu realized, and it stung like hell. He growled, Ben cast him a worried look, and so he grinned. “Think I'm gonna freak out and attack you, Ben?”

“Yea well...you may be mostly human, but...”

Kotetsu continued to grin even though that jab hurt almost as much as his tail. He wasn't a monster. He didn't want to be thought of as one. “Shut up,” he said, and looked at Barnaby's hand as he started to wrap a gauze bandage around his tail. He tied and tucked the ends of the bandage, and then applied some medical tape that did not touch Kotetsu's fur. It would either pull or just not stick.

And then he was all set and they were taking a turn. “Where are we going?” Barnaby asked as he put everything back in the bag, and then withdrew his trail mix and a bottle of apple juice he had purchased. 

“Another hotel, and you two really need to stay,” Ben answered.

“No, we need to go find someone,” Kotetsu answered.

“Maybe we should stay,” Barnaby said, and Kotetsu knew they would be staying at least a little while. He would really, really rather find Perry and make sure he was safe, but Barnaby was calling (most of) the shots until he felt better, and they were going to at least need a night to handle that. 

“It's a place where the mayor has stayed before in times of trouble. We can't go back to the other place right now, too many people knew you came from there, so we're going to this other place. It's not as fancy but it's neat. ...Has themed rooms.”

That definitely got Kotetsu's attention. “Themed? Oooh!”

“Themed...” Barnaby sounded less than pleased. 

Ben nodded at them. “Log cabin themed room, there's a jungle one, a motorcycle one, a penthouse one...they're neat, if you're looking for something different. Perfect for you, Kotetsu.”

Ben knew him well and Kotetsu nodded so vigorously it hurt. “I can't wait!” It was something fun to come of the whole mess, and he had to admit, he was grateful for it. If they had to relax and stay put, that was the way to go!

 

\---------

“The Love Shack.” The room was, well, it was funky. It was bizarre. The bright colors, the plush 'dashboard dice' hanging from the ceiling over the bed, the heart pillows, the disco ball – Kotetsu loved it! Everything about it was loud and brightly colored. There was a mini fridge and microwave, so they didn't have the luxury of a kitchenette – but the jacuzzi made up for it. 

It was long and decorated with some silly looking flowers of all colors along the sides. The tub inside was pink, with the rim yellow and the outside a bright blue. He could feel Barnaby panicking at the color clash. 

“Oh my god,” Barnaby said as they walked in there to get settled. Once again there were a couple of suitcases, this time in front of the floral print arm chair in the corner by a window. “This is...”

“Awesome!?” Kotetsu supplied, looking around still in wonder. It was so cheesy but so wonderful! So many yellow and green hearts on the ceiling! The rug underneath had so many red hearts! The room was small, but he didn't care at all. It actually felt more welcoming and more fitting than that bit rich suite they were in before. 

“This hurts my eyes!” Barnaby complained, and Kotetsu turned to giggle at him. 

Yea, yea, the colors are a bit nuts...well, we'll turn down the lights low when the sun goes down and it'll be perfect.”

“Ugh. Maybe.”

He really needed Barnaby to cheer up. “Hey, take your benadryl and then let's lay down. It's all we can do right now, you know?”

“Mmm...” Barnaby set the bag down on the bed, a king sized thankfully, and fished out the pills he bought. “At least it's not the motorcycle room, I guess, or the outer space one.”

Those both sounded amazing to Kotetsu, but he just nodded and pointed toward the bathroom, which was just as gaudy as everything else. “Right. Okay, go take the pills.”

Barnaby glared. “You don't have to force me.”

“I know, I know, I just want you to do that now so we can settle in.”

Barnaby's look softened. “Okay, okay.” He wandered into the bathroom and Kotetsu decided to check the suitcases they were given more thoroughly than he did at the first place.

He found some soft new shorts they could sleep in, along with tank-tops but he doubted they would need those. Barnaby closed the door to use the bathroom and as he did so Kotetsu stripped and changed. He wanted to get out of those gross clothes and get in something nice and clean. He kind of hated knowing that he and Barnaby had left their own clothes in the hamper back at the other hotel, but they could get them back...probably. 

Kotetsu flopped on his back on the plush, cozy bed. There was a lot to think and worry about. He didn't want to, but it was unavoidable. Kotetsu wasn't sure what to do. If them being out and about meant trouble, they couldn't go find Perry without causing issues. He didn't actually know if Perry was okay either.

Maverick being free was a huge problem, one he didn't even know hot to approach. It was so stressful; he didn't want to sit there and go over it in his head nonstop. He didn't even want to talk about it.

He was laying there for about ten minutes when Barnaby walked out of the bathroom. Kotetsu lifted his head just a little so he could see him. Barnaby LOOKED okay, but he could act very convincingly. “Hey...you alright?” Kotetsu asked him.

Barnaby shrugged.“I'm okay.” 

“Not fantastic?”

“I'm a little calmer, I guess. Hard to tell if the medicine has kicked in yet or if it's being here and off the street.”

“So this room is helping?” Kotetsu actually thought it might make Barnaby a little grumpier, for a little while at least. 

“As horrid as it looks...yes...I'm okay being in here.” Barnaby moved the bag from the bed and set it on the 'groovy' looking green dresser across from the bed. “You going to bed this early?”

“Nah. Just thinking.” He snorted. “Mm, well, trying not to think I guess.”

“Ha. Where'd you get those blue shorts?” he asked, and then his eyes fell on the white ones Kotetsu had pulled and left on top of the bed. He answered his own question. “Oh yea...the suitcases. I forgot about those.”

“They're comfy. Put on the white ones and join me, okay?” he asked, smiling at Barnaby and hoping he looked inviting.

Barnaby stared back at him and nodded. He took off his glasses, set them next to the bag on the dresser, and then took off his shirt. Kotetsu made an appreciative sound as he looked at Barnaby's chest. Barnaby rolled his eyes but he smiled. He started unzipping his jeans.

“Take it off, take it off!”Kotetsu chanted. 

“Ssshh!” Barnaby held his finger to his lips, his other hand paused at the edge of his pants. It was hot as hell.

“No one can hear us.” Kotetsu lowered his voice anyway. “Take it off!”

Barnaby shook his head, pushed his pants down, and Kotetsu whistled. Barnaby actually turned red. And then he took off his boxers. 

“Wha...” Kotetsu raised himself up a little more, resting on his arms. “Going commando? Oh, wait, there are extra boxers in there, I forgot...um...”

Barnaby was crawling on the bed, and in seconds, he had positioned himself over Kotetsu. He straddled him, arms on either side of him, looking over his partner. Kotetsu looked up at him and swallowed. “Bunny?”

Barnaby touched his stomach, palm flat and gliding his hand over it smoothly. It shot sparks directly down Kotetsu's body, as did the intense look on Barnaby's face. Kotetsu just looked at his hand to distract himself, even as it slid up his torso and grazed the soft fur that still grew on Kotetsu's chest.

It tickled a little and he giggled a bit without meaning to.

Barnaby shut him up with a kiss. He nudged his tongue into Kotetsu's mouth without hesitation, exploring eagerly and running his thumb over Kotetsu's nipples. Kotetsu groaned into the kiss, unable to help it. Yep, they were going to have a night where they completely and thoroughly relieved their tension, losing themselves in pleasure and harmony.

Kotetsu wrapped his arms around Barnaby to bring him down against him. It meant Barnaby couldn't keep petting his chest, but that was fine. It also meant Kotetsu could squeeze his bare ass and hold him against him. He was grinding up against Barnaby as he grew harder. Barnaby was hard already...

Maybe he had been planning on having some fun before he even left the bathroom.

Kotetsu groaned more, digging his nails into Barnaby's skin as he always did. He tried not to draw blood each and every time, and usually failed. Barnaby's tongue felt so good, whether it was in his mouth or swiping against his lips. His cock felt good even though Kotetsu had to feel it through his shorts.

Barnaby stopped kissing him so he could angle his neck and Kotetsu needed no further prodding before he growled and bit into his skin and then sucked on the spot. There was blood, but he knew that would happen. He licked it up, kissed, and bit again while Barnaby groaned and thrust harder against him. 

Fuck, he tasted good.

Kotetsu was almost tempted to slide a finger inside Barnaby, give him a little surprise and feel him lose his mind. 

He settled for biting and scratching lines down his back. Barnaby kissed him again and he nearly bit his tongue, the heat between them building as their bodies moved together. 

Barnaby was biting Kotetsu's lip when he came, and he stopped only to moan Kotetsu's name loudly while he poured himself on his stomach. He stopped moving as he come shot out, eyes closed and mouth forming a perfect little 'o' for a few seconds. 

Kotetsu imagined those lips around his dick again and pressed Barnaby back down against him, grinding on his spent cock. Another minute and he came with his usual growl, staining those nice clean shorts he had just put on.

Oh well. He didn't regret it. 

Barnaby laid against him breathing evenly. They hadn't been doing anything at such a rate that he had lost his breath. However he did have that sweaty, satisfied kind of look he had every time they did anything sexual, and Kotetsu covered his cheek in kisses. 

Barnaby rolled off him but clung to him. Kotetsu kicked off the shorts and boxers. He used the clean part of the shorts to clean the stickiness off his belly and threw the bundle of clothes at the bathroom. When he looked at Barnaby, his eyes were closed. Good – he couldn't lecture him!

“You asleep?” he asked after a few moments.

“No,” Barnaby answered, and his voice wasn't sleepy. He was just resting, it appeared. 

...And that was just fine. Kotetsu joined him in it, though his eyes stayed open.

They stayed there a couple of hours before Barnaby sat up. Kotetsu was immediately worried – and sad, because that was a comfortable two hours, spent just cuddling with Barnaby. “Bunny?”

“I'm okay...I'm okay,” Barnaby answered, petting Kotetsu's leg as he looked at him. “My neck hurts, though.”

Kotetsu could see the bite and the dark bruise that had formed. Oops, a hickey when Barnaby didn't have his makeup to cover it up...he hoped he wasn't too mad. “Sorry,” he said honestly, because he hated Barnaby having even a slight neck injury due to him being rough. 

“Don't be. I loved that. I always love that. This seems like the perfect room to go nuts in...” he said looking around and then giving Kotetsu a sly little smile. 

Kotetsu wasn't sure, but it looked like they were about to do justice to the Love Shack's name that night.

 

\---

He was totally right. When Kotetsu woke up the next morning, everything hurt. His mouth, his arms, even his own crotch, and he remembered just how many times he had gotten off the night before. The room was in a total disarray thanks to their romp, and it smelled like sex.

Ugh. He'd have to borrow some kind of spray from...somewhere.

He could only imagine Barnaby's current state and was a little afraid to look. He was sure the younger man would be hurting, and it made him feel bad. He always felt bad afterwords, but Barnaby was good about reassuring him. 

The clock said it was about eight in the morning, and Kotetsu wasn't sure what time they actually gave in to exhaustion and passed out. Maybe three or so? He was still tired, they both would be, but they had a lot of time to sleep since they couldn't go anywhere. He doubted anything would happen in the next day or so, anyway. They were being kept off the street until Ouroboros decided to start in on whatever plan they had.

He hoped the police got to them first. He hoped they got to Maverick first.

Just as he thought of the awful man, Barnaby moaned next to him. He sounded like he was in pain and guilt ate at Kotetsu, until Barnaby started muttering. It was his usual nightmare mutters, names, pleas not to hurt someone, pleas to leave Kotetsu alone, and so on.

He started shaking and his voice got louder. Kotetsu sat up, took his arm gently, and started repeating his nickname. “Bunny, Bunny, Bunny...” 

“Mmmmnoo...”

“Bunny, my beloved Bunny...wake up.” He wondered how a new and more honest tactic might work, and since they had said it to each other the other day... “My Bunny, I love you, wake up, I love you...”

Barnaby blinked suddenly. That was unexpected. It usually took at least a little longer to wake him up when he was like that. “Kotetsu?” he asked, his voice hoarse and tired sounding.

“Yes, yes, it's me,” Kotetsu said, looking over him and loosening his grip. Barnaby's arm had some scratches, his neck had bruises and bite wounds, as did his chest, even his lip looked to have bled, and the rest of him was covered by a bright yellow sheet. 

“Kotetsuuuuu,” Barnaby groaned and cuddled up even closer, attempting to snuggle into Kotetsu's lap. 

Maybe he wasn't quite awake. Kotetsu laughed and stroked his messy hair. “Hey you, wake up.” The nightmare was gone, just like that? He couldn't say he was upset. “Wake up,” he repeated. 

“Noooo,” Barnaby protested, and then snored – okay, so he was awake, but not. What a strange state of being...

Hey, if Kotetsu could turn those nightmares into pleasant cuddly dreams, he was totally on board with it. Buuuut he should try to wake him up anyway. “Bunny, come on,” he said, trying to be a little more pushy. 

And then there was a knock at the door. He looked up at it, immediately glaring. Who was knocking on their door? Seconds later he realized it was probably just housekeeping and he was dumb for getting pissy. “We don't need anythi- OH! Leave some room spray!” He cringed. They probably thought he needed it for the bathroom. 

Well it's not like he was going to say it was to get rid of the smell of sex. 

“You already stunk up the bathroom!?” 

“Antonio!?” Kotetsu yelled in surprise and Barnaby groaned, shifting in his lap but he didn't wake up. What the hell was that man doing there!? 

“Yea, it's me! Ben let me know where you were!” He knocked again. “Hey lemme in!”

“Hey shhhh! Be quiet! Hang on!” Kotetsu cursed under his breath and looked at the sleeping man currently making a cozy pillow out of him. He shifted slowly, so, so slowly, sliding a pillow under Barnaby's head as he did so and trying to push a pile of blankets into his arms so he would think he was still holding something. 

It seemed to work. The next issue was that Kotetsu had on no underwear. The pair he had the night before was stained. So were the shorts...well, it wasn't like he was only given one pair. He dug around a little and located a bright green pair he hadn't found the night before – awesome! He was sure there was underwear, but he was going commando. He'd been like that around Antonio before and probably never been noticed. 

He heard another knock. He was going to wake Barnaby! Kotetsu hurried to unlock and open it. Antonio stood before him in black leather jacket with too tight black leather pants. His hair was actually nicely combed back and he smelled....spicy. There was no other word for it. “Why are you dressed so weird?” Kotetsu asked instead of saying some other, nicer greeting.

“I'd ask why you're really not dressed at all but...did I wake you up?” he didn't appear concerned, just staring at Kotetsu. 

“Nah. I actually woke up a few minutes ago. Pretty tired still though, so we might catch up on what's going on out there and then figure out something else to do in this hotel.”

“Something else, huh...” Antonio raised an eyebrow, and leaned forward. Kotetsu stepped back. He didn't mind if Antonio came in. He didn't even mind if Antonio got a whiff of that sex smell, because there was a part of Kotetsu's mind that wanted to tell him 'yea, that's right, I'm gettin' some'. If he were more awake, maybe he would have been a bit more guarded.

Antonio came in a few steps so that Kotetsu could close the door. “Oh, damn...” he wrinkled his nose. “Smells funky in here. But I guess it is a theme hotel, maybe their rooms have individual smell.”

“...” Okay, so the reason behind the smell wasn't obvious to Antonio. That was okay. “Uh yea. Let's talk quietly, Bunny is still asleep.” 

“Sure. Well, I don't have much to say. I really just kind of wanted to check in on you- okay, well that's partially true. Agnes called me and kind of sent me.”

Amusing. “Agnes sent you?”

“Yea. She was pissed you guys left the other hotel and wanted someone to keep an eye on you, so I said I'd drop by. I didn't say I'd stop you if you left.”

“Man.” Kotetsu yawned and scratched his chest. Fur could be a little itchy in the morning. “Why're you runnin' errands for Agnes?”

“You're my friend, I don't mind visiting! And hell, she's hot.”

“...Agnes.” Kotetsu snorted. “Hot.” He laughed and stepped into the bathroom briefly to get a cup of water.

“Oh come on, she's a bitch but she's hot. I don't care how much action you get with Barnaby, you gotta admit she's hot.”

“Yea, I guess so, if you're into that.” She was, but she wasn't Kotetsu's type, so while he knew she was attractive and could admit it...he didn't like to. “So you're babysitting us? Bunny won't like that.”

“Nah, not even. I'll be going soon, but I might drop back by this evening. Maybe we can have drinks without something exploding.” 

That didn't sound so bad. “Yea, maybe! I'm not sure how Bunny will be feeling, but I think I could use it. This hotel does have a bar, I think?”

“Uh huh. It's ocean themed. The booths are shaped like shells.”

“...I love this place,” Kotetsu said, tail curling and twitching eagerly. “Even if something does happen today we need to come back here, because seriously...!”

“Should I have mentioned that?” Antonio asked with a laugh.

“No, you shouldn't have...oh, my voice.” Barnaby frowned as both heads turned toward him. He seemed to have surprised himself with how hoarse his own voice was. “And why are you here?” he asked Antonio. Luckily he didn't sound angry, just tired out. 

“Agnes sent me,” Antonio said, smirking. “You decent under there?”

Barnaby glared. “Why do you care? And that doesn't answer my question, really.”

“Oh, Agnes is afraid we'll take off again and endanger everyone and just ruin everything, as we totally tend to do,” Kotetsu said with a sigh. He had felt fine up until that moment. A small headache was forming. “Antonio is 'babysitting' us, but that's cool. I know we can trust him not to make this really annoying.”

Antonio nodded. “I'm relieved I was able to do it. Can you imagine if they sent Nathan or Keith?”

Barnaby shuddered. “Yea, no thanks.”

Everyone annoyed Barnaby if they were around him a long time and they weren't Kotetsu. But Kotetsu did have to admit, both Nathan and Keith sounded like a chore in their situation. Maybe Keith would chill out and be cool, but Nathan might try to make the whole ordeal into a slumber party or suggest activities that were totally unappealing. 

Although, the one time he had Kotetsu painting his toenails was kind of fun, as was the time Nathan actually showed him how to do henna tattoos. 

But neither Barnaby or Kotetsu would handle it well if Nathan started his groping business. He meant no harm by it, it just bothered Barnaby to see anyone else flirt with Kotetsu, and Kotetsu didn't like seeing Barnaby get upset. 

“So...yea, just checking in. But how do you guys plan to stay occupied all day?” he asked, looking around. “This room isn't very big...and you can't leave the building.”

“No kidding,” Kotetsu snorted, seeking out the coffee maker that was in the room. It was tiny, but it would do. He poured the cup of water in the back.“They want us out of the way? Why can't that involve a theme park or something?”

“That would look terrible!” Barnaby declared, looking insulted.

“I didn't mean it seriously,” Kotetsu grumbled. “I just meant...”

Antonio gave him a good hard sympathy thump on the back. “I know, I know, ya want some more freedom. Maybe it'll come soon. Those few crimes they committed while you guys were out did create some leads.”

“Maverick would never be so careless,” Barnaby said immediately. 

“Maybe he wouldn't be, maybe the people immediately under him wouldn't be, but maybe whatever henchmen they sent out slipped up.” Antonio shrugged. “I don't know, that's really all the theory I have right now.”

“Its not very good.”

“Bunny!” Kotetsu snapped over his shoulder. He didn't expect Barnaby to really be nice and welcoming in their situation, and in the morning at that, but there was no need for that rudeness.

Antonio just shrugged. “He's right. I'm not going to act like I've been coming up with any grand thoughts. So what is your plan?”

“Can we discuss it later?” Kotetsu asked, waiting for the little coffee maker to hurry up and do something, anything. “I'm tired and Bunny's naked.”

“Kotetsuuuu!” Barnaby whined in protest.

“Naked and all sorts of marked up.” Antonio snickered and Kotetsu blushed. 

“Antonio...!” He was sure Barnaby felt embarrassed.

“Yes, Kotetsu bites.” Barnaby sounded irritated and impatient. “I need to use the bathroom, and he is right that I am nude, so I would appreciate it if you left. ...We will gladly join you for drinks later in the ocean bar.”

“Okay – cool!” Antonio was pleased, no doubt about it. He sounded downright perky. “I'll meet you guys there tonight, around seven or so. If you're not there, I'll consider you runaways again, so you better show up!”

“We'll be there! By the way you're buying,” Kotetsu said as the coffee started to pour into the cup. 

“Um...” Antonio had started to open the door, but he paused. “I am?”

“Yea. We can't exactly get to an ATM,” Kotetsu bullshitted.

“There's one in the lobby!”

“Yea and it'll probably charge me a fee!” Kotetsu countered. “Heeeey c'mon, show some sympathy for a man who has to stay cooped up in a hotel all day and can';t go anywhere without bringing death and destruction to the city. I mean...sucks, man.”

“Ugh...fine, whatever! But you'll owe me,” Antonio said, and Kotetsu turned just in time to see Antonio making an angry face at him. He didn't know if it was real or if he was goofing around, buuut he decided just to laugh and wave.

Antonio grumbled, waved, and left.

The door closed and as he heard Antonio's footsteps going down the hall, he went ahead and locked the door from the inside like he had before. One needed a hotel key to actually get in but he didn't feel like having staff walk in or something. 

He leaned against the door with his coffee. “Oh man. Sorry about that. I didn't expect him to show up.”

“I don't mind,” Barnaby said softly, sliding out of bed in all his bruised and naked glory. “He was just doing as he was asked, and it's nice your friend came to see you.”

Kotetsu blew on his coffee. “Yea. You're right. I just feel bad he barged in early in the morning...he probably woke you.”

“He did, but that's alright. I wouldn't mind a shower and airing out this room for a couple of hours before I likely need to sleep again. I can already feel...I can already feel my mind trying to race and turn awful corners.” He frowned, walking closer to Kotetsu.

And Kotetsu frowned back. “I don't like the sound of that. It's like you haven't even been given the chance to enjoy the day.”

“Mm. I know. But until we capture Maverick, and maybe even right after, I expect nothing else. Kotetsu, I've felt depressed before, over my parents and missing them, and other things, but I have never felt like my mind has been so tormented...” He looked at Kotetsu, standing right in front of him. He seemed younger in that moment, and his voice was so small. “I don't know what to do.”

“Well, we got you that benadryl, and you know I'm here for anything, anything you need...coffee?” Kotetsu offered stupidly, holding his cup toward Barnaby. 

“I know I have that, and I know you're here, but I still find this so hard to cope with, and I wonder if this is how I will always feel...” His eyes darted between the coffee cup and Kotetsu's face before his entire expression collapsed into total sadness. “I'm so sorry for sounding so stupid just now. I feel very hollow and lost. You are my anchor, but I cannot use you to keep myself stable.”

“Yes you can,” Kotetsu said quickly. He had the distinct impression several psycologists and self-help book authors turned in their graves somewhere. “I mean...I know...I guess technically that's not a good thing to do, and frowned on, and all that. But I want you to use me if it helps. I know you won't just leave when you 'get better'.” He omitted the fact that it was likely Barnaby would never get better, at least not in the sense he was cured. He'd feel better for sure someday! He would feel hopeful and know there was a meaning and future for him. But the things that happened in his life would always stick with him. 

Kotetsu would always be there to help, to be his rock. 

“Kotetsu, it's not fair to you.”

“Let me decide what's fair,” he said, and Barnaby just sort of stared, nodded, and kissed him before dragging himself off for a shower.

\----

“Maybe they're gonna blow everything up and collapse the city and just totally obliterate it.”

“Why would they do that? They want control, not total destruction.”

“But with everything all sorts of messed up, they could step in and start building back up from the chaos, you know what I mean?”

“Sure, but I just don't think that's what they're doing. It's not the worst idea I have heard.” Barnaby hummed as they sat together in the bed watching some sitcom on the television. Kotetsu was barely paying attention – from what he gathered, the character on the current scene was very angry about living with his parents and his game-plan to get them to move out was to show just how freezing it was in their current city compared to how warm it was in some southern area...or...something like that.

It may have been entertaining if they weren't using their heads to figure out what Ouroboros was trying to do. “Not the worst idea...” he rolled his eyes and scratched his leg. They were both back to wearing just shorts, after a short stint in jeans and shirts during which they walked down to the lobby and looked at the bar while their room aired out. 

 

It smelled a lot better. 

“I think they really prefer to control behind the scenes, as opposed to being too explosive, even if they're also behind flashy crimes for HeroTV,” Barnaby said, adjusting his glasses. “I would imagine right now they're trying to make a deal with someone high on city council, or working with someone who hasn't been discovered yet to get things going smoothly like they were before.”

“But that will never work. Everyone know they exist now, no one can be calm until they know Ouroboros is gone...!” 

“Ouroboros will never be finished,” Barnaby said, staring off into space.

That was troubling. “Eh?” 

“Kotetsu, I want them stopped, want them gone as much as you do. But Ouroboros is an extensive organization. There is no way to really know how many people work for them, knowingly or unknowingly, no way to know who has power in the city...there's too much. We can't stop them, we can only live with them and hope for enough control in the city to keep them from having an edge.”

“Citizens will never be okay with this.”

“They will.”

Kotetsu was feeling a little dumb. “Huh? Bunny, that's not true.”

Barnaby gave him an odd look. “All this time being a hero, and you are so naïve? You're denying what you already know.”

“Elaborate, please.”

“When nothing is happening, people will feel more comfortable the longer it goes on. They will feel the sense of danger ebbing away.”

“But Stern Bild is always dangerous. Not as much as it was when I started, but it is not a safe place.”

Barnaby nodded. “Right! ...Except that now, it's safer than ever because they are holding back. The sense of security provided by the heroes before is now a sense of security offered by the lack of crime. People will go back to their habits. It's like returning home from a terrible storm – you're inside, warm, and safe, and you don't really forget about the storm but you stop worrying about it because you're okay. The storm could get worse, and maybe something in your shelter will falter and it'll reach you, but you don't anticipate it. You start to take off your coat, make some tea, and feel safe and sound.”

“Hide under your blanket and you're safe from the monsters, and so you sleep sound,” Kotetsu murmured.

“You get it, then?”

Kotetsu nodded slowly. It was not a hard concept, and he felt rather slow for not thinking it through. He was so on edge that he assumed everyone else was. It was hard to calm down even if they had their moments of just being with each other and pretending things were alright outside. 

Just like everyone else. 

“So our goal is...”

“To get rid of Maverick.” Barnaby was firm. “We will get rid of him. I don't know what that will do to Ouroboros, if it will cause chaos for us to handle afterwords or what, but we need to get rid of him.”

“By putting him in jail.” Kotetsu would not allow Barnaby to bring up killing him. 

“I...yes.”

“But what if leaving him there is best for the city?”

“Kotetsu...they will have someone prepared to take over from him. They will have a back-up plan.”

“Ah, yea...I guess...that makes sense...”

“Ouroboros would not remain this powerful, this hidden, for this long without being smart enough to have something in mind if something happens to Maverick. I'm sure their retaliation won't be pretty, but we need to get him, and we will get some control back.”

Kotetsu wasn't sure he believed that, but for the time being he had no choice to at least act like he did. He couldn't get his mind working to sort out the finer details, and he had to agree with Maverick being the man in charge, it would be a good blow to Ouroboros to take him out of the picture. Barnaby's main motivator was revenge, but they would still pursue that awful man.

But that would be the next day, or the day after that maybe. Hopefully it would be no longer than that. 

For the time being, he could only change the subject to what specialty drinks he hoped to order from the bar later. 

 

\----

“I'll have a Sneaky Mermaid, please, and I'd like it strong! Uh, I have a friend coming, and you can put it on his tab.”

“Uh, sir, we have no intentions of making you heroes pay,” said the tall man behind the counter, his long blonde hair pulled back in a tight ponytail, blue eyes wide and young face making him look barely above the drinking age himself. 

Barnaby tapped the blue counter and Kotetsu was distracted by the surface yet again. The way it was made gave the appearance of an ocean moving underneath their fingertips. Starfish and hermit crabs moved about, with occasional clownfish and other beings making appearances in the seaweed and along the coral reefs. Each touch made it appear that one had touched the water, with ripples, but the surface was hard and dry. 

“Charge us. Please. We're not drinking on the people of Stern Bild,” Barnaby commented, and then sipped his water. He said he was unsure about drinking, but had expressed interest in a drink called 'The Periwinkle'. 

The young man looked nervous. “No, really, I've been told not to charge you...”

“Then charge me,” came a booming voice from behind them and both Kotetsu and Barnaby turned to see Antonio there, brushing snow off his coat. “I have a feeling I'll be wanting to sleep in a room here tonight. It's starting to really come down out there.” 

“We're getting a lot of snow?” Kotetsu asked, realizing that while he was trying to pay at least some attention to the world outside, he had no idea of the weather that day. They'd not really looked out their windows, truth be told. Barnaby had noted at one point that it felt a little dark for that time of day, but then Kotetsu started giving him a foot rub and it wasn't brought up again. 

“Startin' to.” Antonio hung up his coat, pausing as he put it on the hook and looked around. “Private party?” It was empty in the bar aside from them, and as such there wasn't even a DJ that night.

“Sort of,” said the nervous bartender. “Not a lot of people here normally on a weekday night, plus people just aren't traveling yet. There are a few in the hotel, but they've been keeping to themselves. Maybe they'll come out, though. It is still early.”

Antonio brushed some snow off his still tight pants. “I'll tip well.”

“Oh, no, you don't have to, really. It's enough just to serve the heroes and a friend of theirs.”

Antonio looked a little put off by that. He often forgot that unlike the other two, he had never revealed his actual identity, and thus, no one recognized him as a hero. Kotetsu would have to remind him later. For the time being, he decided to at least be more friendly with their bartender. He seemed nice. “Hey, so, what's your name?”

“Ah... Donny Watts,” he said, his cheeks reddening.

“Donny? Nice to meet ya. Relax! We're not gonna judge you or be pricks. We're just here for drinks,” Kotetsu said kindly.

“Yea, and put all of us on my tab!” Antonio said, without even having to be prompted! Apparently he was no longer annoyed that Kotetsu pressed it that morning. 

“All of you?” Donny asked, looking from one to another.

Barnaby sighed as though he were giving into something and pushed his water to the side. “Could I please get a Periwinkle?” he asked, sounding a little flustered.

“Manly drink,” Antonio said, patting him on the back, and Barnaby just groaned. “Nice to see you guys with pants and...healed...” he said, looking at Barnaby.

Since they were in the room so long Barnaby had gone into the bathroom and taken time to heal up his bruises and bites. Since none of what he had was any sort of major injury, he was able to take care of everything, looking unscathed by the time they got dressed for the evening and went down to the bar.

“Yes, I'm back to normal.”

“Healed?” asked Donny, and Kotetsu didn't mind him overhearing. There was probably no way he could help it. “Mr. Brooks, did you suffer an injury? We do have a medical station for any of our guests so they don't have to leave.”

Barnaby swallowed, definitely not wanting to explain anything to Donny. “NO. No, I'm fine, he's just referencing...something else.”

Kotetsu gave Antonio a very stern look so he would know to stop. It always worked, luckily. 

“Alright. Give me 'Stowaway's Brew',” Antonio told the bartender, who immediately looked a little worried. It had looked like a strong drink, but Antonio was an expert drinker. That didn't mean he was an alcoholic – the man drank to enjoy but never put it first in life. “So anyway, what'd you two do all day?” he asked.

Kotetsu took a very long sip of his drink and then an outright gulp to finish it, and told Antonio about their dull day. It was a very short story since all they did was sit in bed. Antonio was holding back a few lewd comments, he could tell. He kept them at bay by telling Antonio of their conversation about Ouroboros and Maverick. Kotetsu ordered another drink, and as soon as he mentioned Maverick, he noticed Barnaby ordered a Stowaway's Brew himself...

He could already see himself holding that perfect curly blonde hair back while Barnaby refunded his cheap chicken finger bar meal. 

However, Kotetsu wasn't going to stop him or even warn him. Barnaby was a big boy. He could tell when a drink had a lot in it, and he could drink it if he wanted. If he wanted to take himself out that night despite the possibility of a nasty hangover, he could do it.

Kotetsu would be there to comfort him in the morning. 

“He's right,” Antonio said as Kotetsu wrapped up their thoughts. 

“Eh?” Kotetsu asked, gnawing on the straw in his drink. 

“Barnaby,” Antonio said, looking briefly at the blonde who was drinking his Stowaway maybe a little too fast. “People will sit and get comfortable even if they know every single member of Ouroboros is at large, just because nothing is happening. I mean, people might still be nervous, but...” he shrugged.

“I get what you guys are telling me...” Kotetsu said, swirling his drink around in his glass and frowning. “I guess I just think it's far fetched that they just blew up a building, and a couple of weeks ago stuff was happening a lot, and then there was the day that I showed up in the streets as a tiger...” 

“Hey Barnaby, when Kotetsu was a tiger and you were starting your new job and everything was just plain different, how long did it take you to calm down and feel so comfortable with him that you wanted to stick your...hand in his?” Antonio hid a grin. 

“Not long, I don't think, not that long at all I'm sure of it,” Barnaby said, already slurring. Two drinks in! Well, they were made strong and that second one was especially loaded. 

“Yea, it really wasn't that long.” Kotetsu thought back to their time in the tower and how it didn't take long at all for the two to grow close and trusting. Kotetsu hadn't totally trusted Barnaby for a while, even after he found himself envisioning Barnaby in much more than 'friendly' fantasies, and even after they danced and cuddled on the top of the building. 

He hadn't been sure if he could trust anyone, and he still had his little secrets and doubts. They were not so much he needed to bring them up. He met Barnaby at exactly the right time, before his mind could have gotten more negative and taken him in a worse direction. 

“See? He was in a tower with a big ol' mystery creature, and it wasn't long at all before he was okay with you, cause you didn't try to hurt him and I'm guessing you were your goofball self. So as long as Ouroboro doesn't hurt people... You don't tell me a lot about the tower time...I mean the details. And we never did get to talk more about it before things went to hell the other night.”

“Yea, he was him,” Barnaby said in an ever-so-helpful way that made Kotetsu cringe. “He kept lighting candles, and he would walk around trying to be a hero...” Barnaby sighed and smiled at Kotetsu in a way that made them both blush. 

“Sounds like him. For the most part, anyway...” Antonio finished his drink. “I guess there's not that much to go on since he didn't have a TV and beer up there, or a phone.” 

“Mmmm, that's true.” Barnaby was still gazing at him. 

“You okay?” Antonio was asking Barnaby, and Kotetsu just shook his head. He could tell what kind of drunk Barnaby was about to be. 

He was going to be the most loving kind in the world. “He's fine,” Kotetsu said, wondering if he should get another himself. He could feel the buzz hitting him, not too strong yet. “He may not be fine if he has too much more.”

“But I want a Fuzzy Navel,” Barnaby complained, still smiling. “I like the name cause I like fuzzy navels...”

“Oh my god...” Antonio laughed.

“Too much information Bunny, TOO MUCH!” Yea, his belly button had come out of everything a little fuzzy, though not as much as his chest. 

“It's not thaaaat much, I don't like to get too much into it,” Barnaby said in a sudden bossy and more normal sounding voice. It didn't last long. “Can we sit in a shell booth together?”

“Eh...”

“Oh, let's just do it,” Antonio said, standing up and looking amused. “Donny, I'll have a Seaweed Tickle, please just bring it to the booth.”

“Okay...” Donny looked a bit bummed that they were getting farther away. He was probably getting a kick out of their conversation.

Kotetsu tapped Barnaby's arm and hauled him off his barstool. Barnaby wobbled a little at first. But, past that first second, neither of them had any trouble walking straight to the blue shell booth chair. The cushions looked comfortable, and Kotetsu loved the way the tops of the chairs curved up and over a bit, as if the clam were going to close on them. It offered a sense of privacy. 

They sat down and Barnaby immediately cuddled up to Kotetsu, leaning his head on his shoulder. 

“You gonna make it through the rest of the evening?” Antonio asked.

“Yes, I am juuussst getting comfortable, is that an issue?”

“He's touchy again...” Antonio huffed.

Kotetsu just scratched Barnaby's head fondly. “He's fine. HEY! Donny!” he shouted across to the bar. “Bring Bunny his Fuzzy!” He didn't check to verify Donny had gotten the order, just trusting that he heard. 

What followed was Antonio making a lot of fun of them, Barnaby going between insulted and cuddly, and Kotetsu just laughing through all of it. That was the way that night should have gone. And he hoped it would be the way even more nights went. Good feelings with good people was invaluable, and Kotetsu knew it firsthand. It could be taken away at any second. 

Donny took a little while to bring their drinks, one for Barnaby, one for Antonio, and a juice on the house for Kotetsu. “But I didn't order anything,” Kotetsu had said, surprised. 

“O-oh,” Donny was wringing his blue apron nervously. “I know. Sometimes we offer customers something to help them stay hydrated, and sometimes people feel water is just too bland so I brought you cranberry juice. 

How nice! “Oh. Well, thanks!” he told Donny, raising the glass to take a sip. He stopped before it got there, looking at Barnaby's drink. “Looks a little stronger than it should. Geez, it's like he wants us to get drunk,” he chuckled.

Barnaby took a sip and made a face. “Yea, it's strong alright.”

“So is my Seaweed Tickle, wow- hey, I didn't name the drink!” Antonio said defensively when Barnaby and Kotetsu started laughing at him. “I ordered it because it has- hey stop!”

They didn't stop and eventually Antonio joined in the laughing and started making all sorts of interesting jokes in regard to his Seaweed Tickle. Why did they have such a ridiculously named drink anyway!?

“You gonna drink your juice?” Antonio asked, pointing at Kotetsu's glass.

“Sure, but I'm gonna take it back to the room.”

“The room?” Barnaby asked and then practically nuzzled Kotetsu's face. 

Kotetsu acted like he was going to bite him, forcing him off. “Yes, the room, you are getting quite drunk and so I am taking you back soon. Antonio, you better get a room too.”

“Yea, yea, I will,” Antonio said, looking toward his coat. “I can imagine it's only gotten worse out there, so...”

“So yea, get a room,” Kotetsu said.

“I will. I do have something to show you guys in the morning though,” Antonio said, stirring the remains of his Tickle with the straw.

“What?” Kotetsu asked immediately. “Is it important? Should you have showed us when you got here!?”

Antonio just waved his hand. “It's fine. Don't worry yourself over it,” he said.

“Whatever.” Kotetsu was still buzzed enough not to get into an argument over it, but he wasn't a fan of Antonio holding back important information. 

They laughed for a little longer until both men finished their drinks. Antonio went to the counter to pay and leave a very generous tip while Kotetsu collected his glass and his Bunny. He waited around for Antonio, who assured him he would get to the lobby fine and get his own room. He didn't even know what rooms were open, but he'd call Kotetsu when he woke up and let him know, because he was feeling incredibly tired and out of it and way drunker than he realized. 

Kotetsu would have given him a one armed hug, but Barnaby was trying to wrap himself around him so he settled for an awkward fist bump. Then, he and Barnaby returned to their room. Barnaby was sinking against him as he used him for support. It was hard to walk with him, especially when Barnaby would randomly perk up and attempt to place little kisses on his face. 

They barely managed to stumble in before Barnaby tumbled toward the bed, landing on the edge and then hauling himself onto the rest of it. Barnaby giggled like an idiot and Kotetsu plucked off his glasses before he could break them, setting them with his glass of apple juice next to the coffee maker. Barnaby was practically rolling around in a gigglefit. Kotetsu had never seen him that wasted, not that he'd gotten much of a chance yet.

“Uh, you okay, Bunny?” he asked, an eyebrow raised as he slowly approached the bed.

“Tiiiired. And felt like I was gonna fall down and...it's like I took several of my normal sleep medications, haaa.” Then he reached out with both arms, laying on his side. “Come heeerrree...”

“Wow.” Kotetsu stared. Yea, Barnaby was wasted. “No more Stowaways for you.”

“Good cause I don't want anymore! I just want you, my fuzzy tiger, my handsome hero with his tail, I want to pet your tail, is it feeling okay?”

Kotetsu stared in disbelief a few moments longer when he decided that he needed to get Barnaby some water. “I'll cuddle with you, just wait – I am getting you water first.”

“I don't want to drink anymore! I..mmm...” Barnaby paused as Kotetsu walked by and stopped long enough to stroke Barnaby's arm briefly.

“I'm just getting water and you WILL drink it, because you need something to deal with all that alcohol in your system, you got it?” Kotetsu asked in his most nurturing voice. He didn't want to talk down to Barnaby. He was sure one day he would be happy and hammered in in a very similar state. 

“Alright...you know better than me on this I suppose,” Barnaby said in a sweet, quiet voice. 

Kotetsu nodded and walked to the bathroom for one of the plastic wrapped paper cups that came in the room. He poured nice cool water in it and brought it out for Barnaby, who was laying half on the bed with his hands touching the floor. 

For a very brief moment Kotetsu debated taking a picture, just because it was so damn funny. But he knew Barnaby would be unhappy if he ever found out a picture like that existed, and while Kotetsu thought embarrassing pictures could be fun...it didn't seem right to do it. 

He walked back over, grabbed one of Barnaby's wrists, and started to haul him up. “Come on you. Water. Sit up.”

“But the floor....so groovy,” Barnaby muttered as he let himself be hauled back up. He looked at Kotetsu with a big smile and took the water. “You're my person,” he declared, nearly spilling the water all over himself until Kotetsu steadied the cup so he could actually drink out of it. 

“I am, eh?” Kotetsu said, making him finish that small cup before he took it away. As drunk as Barnaby was, he should have way more water than he just drained from that little cup. 

“Yeaaa...hey...you're my tiger too. Can you be my person and my tiger?” he asked so sweetly, his voice quiet and some of that drunken silliness gone.

Kotetsu kissed his forehead. “Sure. I sure can be Bunny.” 

“How come you didn't drink more, Kotetsu?” Barnaby asked, leaning against him. “Cause you're so serious right now.”

“I'm not sure...I wanted to get drunk with you. But I got buzzed and decided I'd rather watch you be silly.”

“I'm entertain...entertainment?” Barnaby slurred. 

“Yep!” That was pretty much the truth. Kotetsu had wanted to get drunk with Barnaby, but a feeling – yes, a gut feeling – told him it would be a better idea if he didn't. And he wasn't sure he could look after and enjoy Barnaby in his current smashed state. Kotetsu wasn't usually the responsible drinker...

Barnaby sure had an effect on him. That or everything going on around them had taken it out of him. 

“Oh. Well that's okay I guess,” Barnaby said, turning and dragging Kotetsu to actually sit his butt down on the bed. “Lemme snuzz your fuzz.”

“Wha-”

Barnaby pushed up Kotetsu's shirt and stuck his face right in his chest, nuzzling him and making happy little sounds as he did so. He was doing his best to bury his face in his chest. 

“Bunny, Bunny!” Kotetsu laughed. 

“Igottapee.”

“What?” He couldn't make out Barnaby's muffled words. 

“IGOTTA PEE!”

Kotetsu pushed him. “Get off me then and go pee!” And then, after that, hopefully Barnaby would be okay with passing out, because Kotetsu's buzz was wearing off and leaving him sleepy. 

“Okay...okay.” Barnaby got to his feet and wobbled, pointing at Kotetsu. “Take off your shirt and lay on your back.”

“Uh, sure, whatever you say.” Kotetsu watched Barnaby make his way to the bathroom, bumping into the wall twice before he made it in. Maybe he should have helped him. Nah, Barnaby could pee on his own. His main concern was whether or not Barnaby peed all over the seat and Kotetsu couldn't help that even if he went in there because he was not holding Barnaby's dick while he pissed.

He heard the toilet flush and Barnaby came back in. “I didn't miss,” he said, sounding sober even though he was holding onto the desk. 

“Good.” Kotetsu took off his shirt and laid down, eager to sleep. 

Barnaby crawled on the bed carefully, straddling Kotetsu and positioning himself over him. He dipped his head down to kiss him on his lips. Kotetsu didn't stop him, despite how slobbery and forceful he was being. He'd consider it a goodnight kiss of sorts. 

Then Barnaby went for his neck, licking it and sucking. “Uh, Bunny...” Kotetsu tried to push him off. “None of that now.”

“But I want youuu,” Barnaby said, his lips finding Kotetsu's shoulder. 

“What else is new? You always want me.” Kotetsu stroked his hair. “Sshh, Bunny, go to sleep.”

“I want to play,” Barnaby said, kissing along his collarbone. 

“No, not now, not now. Please just lay down.”

“Noo. You''re so hot,” Barnaby said, his face in Kotetsu's chest again.

“Bunny...”

“I want...I jus' want...” Barnaby's lips grazed his nipple, followed by his tongue. 

No, not good! Kotetsu had to push him off him, even as that tongue traced his nipple, running over the tip, back and forth, back and forth, back and...and...just laying there. It was uncomfortable for Barnaby to just pause while licking him, and Kotetsu looked down.

There, in the very picture of dignity, was Barnaby passed out with his tongue still laying on Kotetsu's chest, drooling. Kotetsu couldn't help a couple of giggles, covering his mouth even as his stomach moved with silent laughter. Barnaby didn't stir, down for the count entirely. 

“Oh Bunny,” he said quietly as he moved his head very carefully so he was drooling into a pillow beside him instead. “I am most definitely your person, and I'm so happy you're mine too.” He pet his hair carefully, content to be next to him even if he was out in a drunken stupor. “I love you,” he said, knowing full well Barnaby couldn't hear a word of it. That didn't matter. It was just something he wanted to say. 

\---------------

In the middle of the night, Kotetsu was awoken by a noise. The noise was coming from the door, the handle wiggling and the sound of someone bumping against it – or possibly drunken knocking. Not that Kotetsu realized it right away. It took him a few moments to remember where he was and notice he was awake and not dreaming. 

The more he heard the noises, the more he was able to realize where they were coming from. It was such lazy knocking, if that was what it was anyway. Who would be...and then he realized.

Antonio had gotten a room too, and while Barnaby was still completely out next to him, it was possible Antonio had woken up still feeling drunk and dizzy and totally confused. 

Well he was just going to have to go back to his room! Kotetsu was not getting out of the bed and away from Barnaby. While he was sleeping and probably not going to wake up without an awful lot of effort, Kotetsu always dreaded the possibility of Barnaby having a drunken nightmare. He couldn't remember whether his own drunken dreams had ever been better or worse than normal but he didn't want to chance it with Barnaby.

“Antonio go back to your room!” he half-yelled, knowing he wouldn't wake Barnaby but still not wanting to be so loud in the middle of the night. 

The thumping paused, and the handle turned, though the door didn't open. 

“I said get lost! C'mon, we're trying to sleep and I WILL punch you if you come in here like an asshole!”

The door handle jiggled once more, and that was it. Kotetsu glared at the door because he knew until he heard the footsteps, Antonio was still out there being a drunk prick. 

“I know you're there!” After he said that, he was rewarded with the sound of someone walking away. Kotetsu sighed, feeling thankful Antonio hadn't decided to yell back at him. What an ass! He'd deal with him in the morning. 

Barnaby groaned and rolled on his side facing away from Kotetsu. He didn't make any other noise or appear to be awake. Kotetsu slipped back down the bed beside him and wrapped his arms around him, spooning him. He kissed the back of his head and fell asleep.


	5. Friendly Mission

“I don't feel so good.”

“Ehh...” Kotetsu woke up to Barnaby laying on his back and staring at the ceiling. He looked pale. 

“I don't think I'm going to throw up, but I feel weird. My stomach hurts, my head is really killing me, and I feel tired but I can't sleep anymore.”

“What time is it?” Kotetsu asked, curling up to Barnaby's side. He would move when he had to, but he was feeling comfy. He was also unconcerned about Barnaby's health – it was a hangover. Those absolutely sucked. They could get some greasy food from the hotel restaurant, keep the lights dim, and just wait it out. 

“Noon.”

That late? He hadn't expected that. So they laid around into the afternoon, it didn't matter, because Barnaby would have to stay there a bit longer. “Oh. You don't feel like throwing up, you're sure about that?”

“I'm sure. Most of the issue is my head...I feel tired and it hurts, which is to be expected, even feeling depressed can be expected...but I feel...I feel...a very overwhelming heavy sense, like I took a heavy drug. It's...like I took too many of the pills I used to take to deal with my anxiety.”

Kotetsu stroked his arm. “I see...I wonder why? Did you take Benadryl yesterday?”

“Just yesterday morning, many hours before we had drinks.”

“Okay. Well, sometimes depending on what you drink you can have a downright hellish hangover. I had one that took me out until the next evening a couple of years back...I was so drunk I tried to throw up in a stew pot...Antonio was not happy. Then I just laid there and watched a horrible movie with a laughing shark all day while I fell half-asleep. Everything hurt so bad, even things that I'm pretty sure shouldn't have.” He looked up at Barnaby's worried face. “You'll be okay. Don't you worry. I'm here to take care of anything you need me to.”

Barnaby managed a small smile. “You're so wonderful to me, Kotetsu...”

“You deserve to be treated like a prince, you know?” Kotetsu wanted to rest his head on his chest but he didn't want to put any extra weight on Barnaby and cause him pain. 

“Oh, I don't know about that...”

“Don't argue with me,” Kotetsu said. “Now, you said you felt depressed?”

“Well, yes, but I don't really know why. I just...” He had paused and was thinking when Kotetsu heard a knock at the door.

He knew who it was right away, and muttered to Barnaby first. “Geez. I don't mind him coming back now, but he tried in the middle of the night and let me tell you I was ready to be angry at him. Antonio!” he yelled, and felt Barnaby flinch.

“Kotetsu please, quiet, it hurts, please...”

“Oh. You're right, I'm sorry. I'll just go get the door.” Kotetsu felt bad for yelling out like that when he knew all too well well how a hangover felt. He carefully peeled himself away from Barnaby, getting up carefully. He at last had fallen asleep with pants on. 

Kotetsu turned to look at Barnaby momentarily. Barnaby looked awful. Well – he looked gorgeous as always, but he definitely looked like he was just not ready to deal with the day. He looked like he would pass out. 

Poor guy. Kotetsu answered the door and cracked it open just a bit to see Antonio – and he looked just as bad. “Yo,” Kotetsu said quietly. “Bunny's not feelin' so good, so we may have to meet up later.”

“Yea, yea, I feel like shit.” Antonio held his hand to his head. “I got the tree house room which is cool I guess, but all I've seen of it was a blur. I got in the leaf shaped tub and passed out.”

Kotetsu was aghast. “You know not to do that! You can drown that way!”

“Yea well, I was alone and not thinking. Anyway I locked the bathroom door...when I got out this morning, I think someone broke into my room because it was kinda messed up. I think. Unless I made the mess. I really don't know...”

“Wait – this morning? You sure it wasn't in the middle of the night?”

“I'm sure...” Antonio frowned. “Why?”

“You knocked on my door in the middle of the night and shook the handle!” Kotetsu felt sort of annoyed, but he knew it was hard to control where one stumbled when drunk, at times. 

“Ssssh, ssshhh, not so loud.” Antonio rubbed his head a little more. “It wasn't me. I was totally taken down! I woke up in the bath. There's no way I would have crawled out of the tub, walked across the building and taken an elevator down here onto to have crawled back in!” 

“Hmm...” That was a good point. But who else would it have been? Housekeeping?

“Besides, did Barnaby move all night?”

“No.” Kotetsu remembered him passing out and told himself not to smile because Antonio WOULD ask. “He still hasn't moved. He looks awful.”

“Yea. Whatever happened...I don't think we were just drunk, I think we were drugged in those last two drinks. They tasted strange.”

“Did they?”

“How about your juice?”

“I never touched it...” It made some sense, he supposed, if they were all three drugged that he was fine since he didn't touch his juice. But with alcohol, that kind of thing was hard to accept. 

“Then you're fine. Kotetsu I think someone was trying to get to us somehow...to hurt us or mess with us. Didn't Maverick used to drug Barnaby before messing with his head...?”

Kotetsu nodded slowly, a heavy feeling in his stomach. It was starting to sound like that was what happened. “Oh...I...”

“Will you let me in?”

“I would Antonio but Barnaby is feeling bad too.”

“I have something I need to show you, that I mentioned last night, but I wanted us to relax. I have to go back to Agnes soon...”

That poor man. That poor, poor man. Kotetsu opened the door to him, holding a finger to his lips as he came in. Antonio walked in slowly and quietly, taking his phone out. “I have a video on here...”

“Um, Kotetsu...” Barnaby spoke from the bed.

“He's here to show us something, and then he'll go.” As soon as he said it, Barnaby looked pleased. That's why Kotetsu felt awful for what he had to say next. “Um but, it sounds like you and him may have been drugged. Someone busted into his room last night, and seems he wasn't the one I heard in the middle of the night.”

Barnaby stared, eyes going wide like an animal in the headlights. “But you're okay.”

“I didn't drink the last thing they gave me.” He pointed at the apple juice. He could taste it, he supposed. “Maybe I can tell by taking a sip.”

Antonio held up a hand to stop him. “No. You're not getting sick too.” Then he moved to the glass and picked it up himself. He sniffed it, made a face, took a very tiny taste – and spat it back into the cup. “Yea, that is not normal apple juice.” 

“I don't remember the stuff ever having a taste...” Barnaby said, looking downcast again. 

Antonio shrugged. “Maybe this wasn't done by Maverick directly and they were more amateur...and used the taste of alcohol to cover it up.”

“That's smart,” snorted Kotetsu. “Sometimes I get so drunk I stop tasting at all and that would make it even easier. Luckily last night was not one of those nights.”

“Why would they do it now? Why here?” Barnaby asked, distressed.

“No idea,” answered Kotetsu. “And...I suggest you don't dwell on it.” They wouldn't know and he did not want Barnaby's mind to be focused on being drugged and depressed and...well, it was a bad road for Barnaby to go down. At least he'd been a happy drunk the night before...

Barnaby shook his head. “Kotetsu, I can't help-”

Antonio interrupted. “I need to get going.” He played with his phone and gave it to Kotetsu, who crawled on the bed with Barnaby so they could both see the screen. “Just hit play.”

Before Barnaby could speak again, Kotetsu hit play and a fuzzy video came up. He saw Maverick talking, and pointing at some papers. There were a couple of other folks and it was like he was overseeing something. The camera turned and they saw...they saw what looked like Kotetsu's Wild Tiger suit. Except, it was sleeker, and somehow meaner looking. It had pink, red, black and silver colors, and the faceplate showed no eyes but a digital display with some lights blinking. 

Someone attacked it. Someone with a gun came in, firing and running around. The person in the it easily subdued them with an orange, flaming looking wire. Next was someone with a sword. They attacked and the person held their arm out. A creepy looking black sword came sliding out, and chopped the other's weapon up. Last was someone in a thick kind of armor.

The mystery person acquired a gun, or pulled it out from somewhere – Kotetsu couldn't see. He DID see the gun fire and blow the opponent away as well as making a hole in the wall. 

Then the lights on the faceplate went off. Someone in a long white coat came over and lifted the faceplate to reveal a face that was not human.

It looked almost skeletal, with glowing red eyes to boot. Kotetsu could tell that it wasn't some monster or something – it was a robot. An android, and a very powerful looking one that really unnerved him. Then the video ended.

“My parents...” Barnaby whispered next to him but didn't expand on it. 

Kotetsu still stared at the screen, even as it darkened after not being touched for a couple of minutes. “Uh...okay. That was kind of terrifying, wasn't it?”

“Yep. It was sent to me from a number I don't recognize. It's being traced...but I needed to show you two Maverick's project. At least, I think it's current.” He took his phone back from Kotetsu. 

“I think so too...well...what do we do with this is the question,” Kotetsu said, leaning close to Barnaby. 

“Nothing right now. Let's see where it came from and let the police do their work for a little while. I don't think it would be wise to charge in until we know more about this thing.” Antonio put the phone in his pocket. “I've got to go, though.”

“Ah. Okay.” Kotetsu wanted to know more and it was really hard to accept he would have to wait. But he did need to care for Barnaby. “Drinks tonight? No? Understood.”

Antonio chuckled and it actually sounded painful. “No, no, though I will stop by. I will be in touch before then too. See you later, Kotetsu.”

Kotetsu raised his hand to wave. “Bye,” was all he said before Antonio exited the room. When he turned to Barnaby, he saw big fat tears rolling down his perfect face. “Bunny, like I said, don't dwell.”

“That's impossible,” Barnaby responded immediately. “But, that's not what's wrong. See...I...am confident he stole my parents' research with that robot.”

“Eh?”

“I told you how my parents worked with robots, collecting data and building them and everything, right? They were rich and famous for it.”

“Yes. I remember that.”

Barnaby looked relieved – the nerve! Of course Kotetsu would remember about his parents! “Maverick worked closely with them until he killed them.”

“Yes.” He knew that too. And then it clicked. “Ooooooh. So he would have all that information, everything they learned and built...”

“Uh huh.”

“And he used it to make his own...and this thing seems deadly...why would he make that?”

“I don't know; don't talk so loud,” Barnaby grumbled. “This is not a good thing. Mom and Dad didn't make robots to hurt people. They didn't make them to wield weapons, or even for defense use.”

Kotetsu had a feeling that no matter their original plans and desires, defense and military usage is where robots were ultimately headed. He held his tongue though, waiting for Barnaby to say more.

But Barnaby was tired. He sank down in the bed. “I don't know what to think. I don't know why he is doing it and for what purpose. I don't know why we were drugged. I still don't even know why that building was blown up. It's times like these I want to sleep and not wake up.”

“No.” Kotetsu grabbed his arm. “I...know.” Things like that scared him, a lot. 

“I want to stay, for you.” 

“You must have more of a reason than that.”

“Perhaps when we are less stressed and things have become better, I will. I do want to figure this all out and bring the city peace, actual peace not just a silent period. But without you here I don't think I could do a thing.”

Kotetsu put his arm around Barnaby and brought him closer. “Ssshh. I don't mind that you lean on me, but I want you to have more reasons to be happy. I think there's reason for you to carry on other than me.”

“I don't know about that.”

Kotetsu leaned his head on Barnaby's. The talk made him want to cry. It hurt to know Barnaby found his own mind in such pain and sadness. It kept coming up, and in such a short period of time. “Yea well I'm sure of it. Things just look bad right now because you've been drugged and it's cold out.”

“...”

“Sorry, I know that wasn't the best comfort...” Kotetsu closed his eyes and enjoyed the feel of Barnaby's hair on his cheek. “But always consider the circumstances. Things felt worse for me when I was alone in the tower, and when you should up, the sun started breaking through.” The end of his tail tickled Barnaby's hand. 

“Mmm...true...Kotetsu?”

“Yes?” 

“Can we please look for Perry when I feel better? I'm worried about him.”

“But Bunny, if we go out...” 

Barnaby stroked his tail slowly. “I need to get out of this room. It's great being with you, but being confined and not doing much is making me feel restless and crappy. And I've been worried about Perry. Add the video to that..Kotetsu maybe they are acting quiet while we're here but Maverick is getting ready to do something.”

“Mmm...” Kotetsu had to agree with that. He knew that Maverick wasn't going to invent a particularly creepy and scary robot just to do nothing with it. And he still didn't know what the plan for Perry was and if something had happened to him.

“We'll sneak out. We'll be really careful. And if we don't find Perry we'll come right back before we try our next plan, that way people think we're here and nothing bad happens. Okay?”

Kotetsu thought about it...and relented. They did need to check on Perry. Kotetsu had to admit it hurt him to know someone may possibly be in danger and he wasn't going to save them. Kotetsu liked helping people and feeling they were neglected by him not showing up..he couldn't do it. “Okay, okay, we'll go. We have to be super careful, Bunny, and please...pleeease realize we might run into Maverick. Will you be okay to deal with that and not go berserk?”

“I can't promise anything...” Barnaby said and Kotetsu's eyes opened. 

“Bunny...”

“I'll try, I'll really try, but sometimes I can't even control my own emotions. And it's scary.”

“Sounds it...”

“I'll try Kotetsu. For you, I will try my best, my very best.” Barnaby relaxed further into him. 

“I know you will.” Kotetsu stared at the door, not really looking at it. “Just do your best Bunny and turn to me whenever you need to,” he said, and after a minute of silence he closed his eyes again. 

\-------

Kotetsu let Barnaby sleep all day, and when Antonio called, Kotetsu asked him not to show up. He wanted to see his friend, but he could tell both of the men were still in bad condition. Barnaby couldn't seem to wake up and Antonio seemed barely with it himself when he called. He said he trusted Kotetsu and Barnaby not to run off on him, laughed, and hung up.

Well, Kotetsu felt a little bad he'd be letting him down...and he considered going back on it and staying there. But his guilt over not going directly to Perry had begun to grow. He owed that man so damn much. 

And truth be told, he found himself wondering if Perry could turn him back into a tiger. That robot was tough, and would need someone with lots of power to take it down if Maverick decided to use it as a weapon. Even if Kotetsu was the beast again he could still be shot at and sliced up. But he would be bigger and stronger even without his powers, and very, very lethal with them. 

There was no way he was going to tell Barnaby what was on his mind. 

Barnaby woke up in the middle of the night, bright-eyed and alert. Kotetsu was glad to have been lazing about all day and even taking a few minutes in the jacuzzi because it meant he was rested too. They were definitely going to be getting ready right away – the middle of the night was the best time for them to sneak out. 

They made little small talk as they got into warm jeans, shirts, and sweatshirts. They couldn't find hats in their packing, but there were gloves – light green for Kotetsu and black for Barnaby. Apparently they could not be found in pink. 

Their phones were charged and they did not touch some of the packed food, which brought up another issue – just looking at it made Kotetsu's stomach growl because he had not eaten all day. He didn't trust the food there.

Well, maybe they'd find a way to get in somewhere for food without it being a big deal. There had to be vending machines or something along the way. 

When they were ready, they slipped out of the room and out of the building – right into lots of snow. It was coming down lightly by then, but Kotetsu could see the hazard lights in the distance as plows attempted to clear up the streets. It was deep enough that their pant legs would be soaked before long, and he cursed for not thinking of putting on double layers. 

So they'd be a little hungry. So they'd get a little cold. They still had to go out, and that's what they did. Being that it was a crappy night to be outside, it was perfect for walking and avoiding drawing attention. 

As long as they didn't go near the plows, they would be okay. They had quite the walk ahead of them, and they traveled at their fastest to get there before it got light out and people began to emerge from their homes. 

They talked little. Neither of them had anything very interesting to say, anything that was worth wasting breath on. Kotetsu knew Barnaby was thinking about being drugged again and he wished like hell he could talk to him, but it wasn't a good time to have an emotional, therapeutic talk. They had to keep ducking away from any lights, even hiding around corners if they saw someone. 

The city did not remain quiet for long even with the snow and time of morning. It was a city after all, always moving, rarely sleeping. More cars started to show up. By then they were over halfway to Perry's, and they could only hope the guy was actually there. If he wasn't...they'd have to figure out a way to hide or something until they could get back to the hotel. Actually, they could just use Hundred Power, but Kotetsu didn't like to depend on it too much. He didn't want to use it to get there quickly because what if they got there and Perry was in danger or a trap awaited them?

Powerless in their suits was one thing, but without protection, even with their skills, they had to be extremely careful.

Perry's building came into view, and Kotetsu found himself thinking about the garden behind it. He wondered how that looked covered in snow. It was probably very pretty. Perry's apartment had been a safe spot, a little haven among the chaos, and it was hard to think of it as anything else. 

They were almost there when someone across the street pointed at them and said something to two young kids, probably her children. Kotetsu swallowed. She may have just been telling her children that he looked like the hero, and even if she knew it was him she might not say anything, but, he worried.

He walked faster. The sidewalks had become better the longer they walked because plows had gotten to them as time went on. “We've been seen.”

“It's not the first time,” Barnaby answered and kept in step with him. 

Kotetsu looked at him briefly. “Huh?”

“I've seen others look at us. But we're almost there. Let's just keep going.”

Kotetsu nodded and soon they were entering the building. It had a lobby of sorts but no one was there. It was essentially a room with vending machines and a bench and immediately Kotetsu went to the vending machine. He got them two bags of chips and some fruit snacks while Barnaby got them both iced teas from another machine.

Munching on their meager snacks, they decided to climb the stairs rather than take the elevator. Barnaby thought it was silly but Kotetsu had a sudden bout of anxiety over taking it, something he couldn't explain. 

They found Perry's floor. They walked down the hall, to his place, looked at each other, and Kotetsu knocked loudly.

And waited. 

There was no response, and they waited about five minutes before knocking again, louder. Another anxious five minutes passed. Kotetsu tried something else, hoping possibly Perry would recognize his voice. “Perry? It's...ah...it's Tiger!”

That time only thirty seconds passed before the door opened. Kotetsu immediately assumed a defensive pose to be safe, while Barnaby looked at him like he was an idiot. And he wasn't the only one.

Perry stared at him too. “Uh...what...can I help you?” he asked. He looked tired. Uninjured, okay, but tired. 

Kotetsu relaxed and immediately felt joy. He was there! He was okay! He almost hugged him.   
“You're alright!” he said happily, tail straight up and twitching.

“Should I be hurt?” Perry asked, confused.

Barnaby shook his head. “We've been worried about you. Ouroboros has been pretty odd, and, well, we found a list of NEXTs with your name and address on it...” He pulled the paper out of his pocket.

“You kept it?” Kotetsu asked, a little annoyed. He hoped maybe Barnaby destroyed it at the hotel.

Barnaby ignored him and showed Perry. “We thought you might be in danger...” 

“I'm fine but...I understand.” Perry looked at the paper, his eyes narrowed and his lips pursed as he studied it.

“Do you know what's up with it?” Kotetsu asked, relief over his safety still beating out his annoyance. If ever there was a time to drink and celebrate, it was at that moment!

“No – but you two should step in, your pants are soaked! And I have been watching the news...there's been talk about how when you two were out and walking around, Ouroboros reacted very threateningly.”

“We know. Oh trust me...we know,” Kotetsu said. He didn't like hearing about it. 

Perry stepped aside and welcomed them into his place. 

It was a mess. There were papers everywhere, some trash, things were out of order with movies and clothes on the floor, some pens and mail...Kotetsu raised an eyebrow. He was relieved to see the couch was clear and things didn't look filthy, just messy and thrown around. Perry sighed and moved some stuff aside, clearing a path in front of them as he went. 

Kotetsu just followed slowly. “Uh...have you had trouble here or...something?” It almost looked like signs of a scuffle in the apartment. 

“Nah. I've been housing a...friend. We had an argument and he took off last night after throwing a tantrum.”

“Ah...” Kotetsu just nodded. 

“He's a good guy and all, we just didn't have a good talk.” Perry picked up some mail and set it on the coffee table. “I really am sorry about this mess. I wish I had thought you might come by. I'd have neatened up.”

“You've done more than enough for us,” Barnaby said quietly. “You brought Kotetsu back. Ah...may I sit down?”

“Go right ahead,” Perry said, trying to gather up some clothes next. 

Kotetsu kept a close eye on Barnaby. The blonde made his way to the couch, stepping over some books and a couple of plastic bags. He found a spot on the couch – the same spot Kotetsu had found him in when he had come in from the garden when he was (mostly) human again. Unfortunately, Barnaby also curled up in the same nervous ball he had been in that time. 

He was crumbling.

Perry had paused in his clean-up, his eyes on Barnaby as well. “Is he...alright?”

“He's...had a rough time. He's been having trouble dealing with what he found out about Maverick weeks ago, he's had a family member murdered, and knowing Maverick is out and about again...” He wasn't sure how much he should tell, but Barnaby had not stopped him. Kotetsu took deep breath. “Maverick...we learned...would drug him before he would mess with his memory. Barnaby found this through some disturbing flashbacks and nightmares. Last night he was drugged again, he and my friend were. They tried to get me too but I never sipped the juice I was served. Then someone tried to break into our room, for some reason...”

“...That's alarming, to say the least. I'm guessing they intended to bring you to Maverick, either for him to change your memories or just punish you,” Perry said, looking down at his floor. 

“Probably. And...there's some other stuff, too.” Kotetsu looked at Barnaby again, unsure of what to do at that moment. He decided first, to tell Perry what was going on. Then he could focus some attention on Barnaby and try to bring him back. The front Barnaby had tried to keep up, the drive, the willpower...it was draining. Kotetsu hated it.

Perry waved a hand invitingly. “Leave him be for a few minutes. Let's go in the kitchen and make some coffee, where you can see it, and put in things you know you want.”

That made Kotetsu smile. “Sounds good.”

The kitchen wasn't as much of a mess. It was still disorganized, but nothing was on the floor, the dishes were clean, and the table only semi-crowded. Perry began to brew some chocolate coffee and pulled out two different flavored creamers – caramel and vanilla brown sugar. He also offered Kotetsu a hazelnut syrup to add to his drink but Kotetsu declined. 

Kotetsu filled him in. He told him about the explosion and the research facility, even though the news had covered it fully. He told him about hiding in the first hotel, Samantha's murder, the travel to the second hotel, the drinks, and the robots.

Perry perked up a bit at the last bit. “Robots?” he asked, stirring sugar into his coffee by that point. “No wonder they haven't been near me...”

“Eh?” Kotetsu tilted his head. 

“NEXTs with abilities that...rely on a real person, like copying powers, memory manipulation, and my ability to pull and transform...we've been left alone. Some others have been harassed. That research facility...I think it was used to research NEXTs who could attack like that. Who could harm something not human. It focused on people like me a little bit but...anyway, sounds like they blew it up when they no longer needed it.”

“Um, oh...” Kotetsu wasn't sure he understood that, but he didn't know that anyone would know the reasons for that building being destroyed. “I guess I get it...”

“What does Maverick need that place for now that he's working on these robots? Well...okay, I'm sure they're still studying NEXTs, but somewhere smaller and secretive and well hidden from us. The list? The list was to figure out who to control. He's not going to bother with me. I can't get any animal out of something without a mind, without emotions and instincts.”

“Makes sense...” Kotetsu nodded, and then made a face. “What would be the chances of putting me back? I mean, making me a tiger again.”

“Easily done, though again the reverse would be hard like before. You're not asking me, are you?” Perry sipped his coffee. 

Kotetsu laughed nervously. “I wouldn't mind that power again, in a battle against Maverick and his cronies.”

“Kotetsu...I'm not sure that would help you in the way you think. Yes, you'd be powerful, but you were definitely starting to gain some animal instincts and thoughts, which I'm sure you still carry. It may not be worth it.”

“I was a tiger for a long time. I'm talking a couple of days here, at the most. I don't mean long enough for anything to stick.”

“I...” Perry sighed. “I still don't know about it. Run it by me again when you're more serious and expect to need it, alright?”

“So you can think about it?”

He nodded. “That's part of it.”

“Fair enough.” Kotetsu added the brown sugar creamer to his coffee. “Say...I call him Bunny, but what would you pull out of him?”

Perry froze and for a moment Kotetsu wondered if he was angry. Was it too much to ask Perry what he saw in someone and what the result might be? Too personal and strange? Kotetsu was about to apologize when Perry broke the silence.

“I don't know, and I do not want to find out.”

He didn't expect that. “Huh?” Kotetsu stirred his coffee. 

“There's a lot of darkness and anger in that young man. He has a good heart, and a good soul, but his center is confusing. On one hand, yes, there is a big, cuddly, sweet and deserving spirit in there. He shows you that side a lot, I am sure. But there is spite, there is so, so much anger and frustration, he's lost...I see a snake, I see a hippo, a wolverine, a pig...a scorpion. I have never pulled a monster from someone before, but I fear I would do that with Barnaby.”

Kotetsu ran a shaky hand through his hair. He was unnerved by that answer, very unnerved. What didn't he know about Barnaby's thoughts and emotions? He loved him...and he would always love him, he was sure. But hiding in that fragile shell on the couch was someone who was angry at the world and didn't know how to forgive it for what it had done to him even if at the same time the only one he cared about was Kotetsu, and the only one he wanted to focus his energy on was Kotetsu. 

Perry noticed his reaction. “Don't let my answer scare you. His negative feelings and ideas are what I find at the front of everything but...I admit, when I turned you human and he was with you, I could read something else. I read that sweet part of him I mentioned. I see a deer, a cardinal, and maybe even a rabbit. When he is around you...” 

“That dark part of him is not so prominent?” Kotetsu asked.

“Exactly. You bring a light he desperately needs. He can't be a monster with you, he doesn't want to be.”

“Ah...” Kotetsu didn't know how to feel about that. He felt happy, on one hand, to know he had that effect, but at the same time sad to know that without him Barnaby would break apart. 

“And so, I refuse to ever pull something from him and make him anything other than what he is now. He is a monster that would only hurt Maverick, but I would be afraid of what would happen if he were in it just a little too long...”

Understandable. Kotetsu nodded, knowing he would never ask and he hoped Barnaby wouldn't either. He didn't want to see that happen to him, and he knew Barnaby would be even worse seeing what he could be turned into. 

“We should get back out to him,” Perry suggested. “Make him up a cup, alright?”

“Ah, yes, I should...” Kotetsu set about doing just that – nice, fresh hot coffee, with the caramel creamer and some sugar. He almost wanted to give Barnaby warm, comforting milk, but he wasn't trying to put him to sleep. He didn't even know if Barnaby was awake, actually, but was betting that he was. He was probably trying and failing to fend off darker thoughts.

Kotetsu hurried up and soon exited the kitchen with two coffee cups, by then very eager to check on Barnaby. 

Barnaby was right where he left him, and Kotetsu set their coffees on the table before he moved to touch him, speaking as he did so. “Hey, Bunny, are you alright?” he asked, stroking his back.

“No.” Barnaby didn't move, but at least he answered. 

“Talk to me?” Kotetsu urged. Perry excused himself, and Kotetsu felt bad. It was Perry's apartment, after all, why should he be the one to walk away? He got the vibe from Perry that if it weren't alright he would make it clear, but he still felt guilty. 

“I saw this couch, and flashbacks hit.” 

That made sense. Barnaby would remember their first visit there, and that memory held a lot of impact, inviting other memories...or something like that. Kotetsu wasn't a psychologist after all. “But the memory of what happened here is good, right?”

“That one is. I keep thinking about other things. School...the orphanage I stayed in for years...I'm starting to remember it...it was nice, but some of it I can't remember...I remember Maverick's place because I did visit there after all...”

“Bunny, when this is over, we will see about finding old records for you, maybe even photos and people that remember.”

“Maverick will have taken care of all those things. He tied up loose ends very well, except for you.”

“Yea, cause he thought he had me trapped, the way he thinks he has the city trapped.” Kotetsu sighed. “Come on you...uncurl, have some coffee. Nothing will be fixed by hiding on this couch.”

Barnaby raised his head, looked at Kotetsu, and blinked his watery eyes. “You're...right, of course.” He looked at the cups. “Which one is mine?”

“The red one with the owl.”

Barnaby turned so he was sitting on the couch in a more normal position and reached for the cup. He picked it up so carefully, bringing it to his lips and blowing on it briefly before taking a sip. “Good.” He took another sip. “Good.”

Kotetsu smiled and sat next to Barnaby. “I worry about you a lot.”

“Yes, I know, I'm sorry, Kotetsu.”

“Don't be. With all that's happened to you, it makes sense for you to be upset.”

“I'm being over-dramatic.”

“No. You're coping.” Kotetsu sipped his own coffee. He couldn't see Barnaby as overreacting or anything like that. He was suffering and trying to handle it with constant disruptions. “Don't add to your stress by thinking you're doing something wrong.”

“Mmm.” Barnaby said no more, and they sipped at their coffee quietly for a while. 

It was painful to feel so powerless in helping someone he loved that much. But what could he do? Kotetsu couldn't make everything magically better for Barnaby. He looked around, wondering when Perry would be back. He liked sitting with Barnaby but they were in somebody's home and it wasn't the kind of place he felt right getting too emotional otherwise he'd have pulled Barnaby into his lap to hug him. 

“What did you guys talk about in there?” Barnaby suddenly asked and Kotetsu jumped slightly.

“Oh. I just filled him in on everything. He said he was probably safe because he was not a NEXT who could affect these robots in battle, if Maverick is planning to do something with them. At least, we're assuming more than one.”

“I...see...”

“He said some other NEXTs have been harassed.”

“I haven't heard anything about that,” Barnaby said as if it was the end of the discussion. 

“We haven't heard a lot, I'm guessing,” Kotetsu continued. “Anyway...I want to find out where Maverick is building these, find him, find them, and see what's going on.”

“That will be difficult...”

Kotetsu nodded. “Damn right it will be, but we have to try.”

At that moment Perry came back to the room, coming via the kitchen though he could have been in his bedroom as well. “Ah...we need to go.” 

Kotetsu tilted his head. “Eh?”

“Some black cars pulled up outside. Cars park out front all the time but I got a very bad sense from the people getting out. I think they know you're here.”

“Wait, wait...” Barnaby held up a hand. “Who are they? Police? Ouroboros?”

“Trouble,” Perry answered. “That's all I know. I think they are criminals and I m sure they are looking to get their hands on you two.”

“Ah, we can fight them,” Kotetsu said dismissively.

“Unless they're NEXTs,” Barnaby said. “They could be, we don't know, and that means we don't know what powers they have if any.” He stood up. “How are we getting out of here?”

“You two have your powers available, yes? Get out through the garden. It's not hard to find another building top and I'm sure even if your hotel is a good walk – as it appeared to be – you'll make it there.”

“We do have our powers...” Barnaby said slowly, “...but what about you?”

“What about me?” Perry asked.

“What if they come for you?” Kotetsu asked. 

Perry shrugged. “I don't know. I don't think they will.”

Barnaby looked at Kotetsu, and then Perry. “Come back with us so we can protect you.”

At first Kotetsu was going to protest. And then, he realized...if he was going to turn back into anything, he needed Perry there. He was concerned for his safety too, but he didn't know that Perry would be safer with them. “Ah...well, while I'm not sure you'd be absolutely safe, it would be a better idea than just leaving you here.”

Perry stared at them both, obviously hesitant. “Um...”

“We don't have much time, do we?” Barnaby asked. 

“No...we don't...and alright,” he said slowly. “I...guess maybe that would be a good idea. I assure you if my friend were to come back he could defend me just fine but-”

“But we don't know if and when he'll be back. Yea, come with us,” Kotetsu said firmly. 

Perry nodded and set down his half-drained cup. He went to the door, grabbed a thick gray jacket complete with some red gloves and a black hat, and then walked past them. “Alright. Let's get to the garden.”

The garden looked similar to the way Kotetsu remembered it. They walked out and it was covered with snow, but still nice. The snow sparkled from where it coated statues and rested on plants that had shriveled for the winter. Kotetsu imagined it with Christmas lights lining everything, and even a few other minor seasonal decorations.

He hoped they would be able to help Perry decorate someday. 

They gathered at the at the edge of it, where the wall kept them from falling into the alley between buildings. Barnaby turned to Perry, awkwardly putting out his arms. “I'll uh, I'll carry you.”

“I...okay...” Perry looked hesitant. Barnaby looked uncomfortable. Kotetsu felt weirdly jealous. 

Whatever. He let out a bit of a snarl without meaning to and they both looked at him. Kotetsu ignored them and lit up blue. Barnaby followed and scooped Perry up, acting fast. The pressure was on, but Kotetsu had a feeling he did that because it was so awkward he wanted to get it over with.

Barnaby rescued people all the time. But he didn't like holding or carrying anyone other than Kotetsu unless he absolutely had to. 

They took off, building to building, Barnaby lagging a little. He was sure they were all being seen by then, but if men had come to the apartment for them they had been discovered and there was no point to hiding too much. He just wanted to make sure they were seen returning to the hotel. Then Ouroboros would calm down, right?

Their powers ran out a couple of blocks from the hotel, but they landed where there were not too many people and walked quickly. Heads turned and people tried to approach them and Kotetsu knew their location should be secret, but wouldn't it be enough to know they were going back and not out hunting down criminals?

Maybe. Nothing made much sense to him. He wasn't good at understanding criminal plans when they were so...big. He was so stressed about it he found that maybe he actually didn't get it at all.   
They got inside, went down the hall, turned a corner and-

“Where the FUCK were you!?” 

Before Kotetsu could react, Antonio had charged him and shoved him up against a wall, pinning him with a big arm to the chest. He was pissed, glaring so hard at Kotetsu that it kind of hurt. His other hand even shook and Kotetsu had a feeling he might get punched.

That would not end well. He could already see Perry hanging back as Barnaby gave Antonio a look that could kill. Everyone would come out of it beaten up and feeling like shit. 

“We had to go and find our friend, okay!?” Kotetsu growled, his face inches from Antonio's. “We needed to get out of that room, for my sanity and for Bunny's!”

“Yea, and you were seen! We had to send some undercover HeroTV people to get you!”

“Ah, so those weren't Ouroboros members...” Perry said as he continued to back even further away.

“No!” Antonio yelled, and turned his head to look at the new person. “Who the hell is this!?”

Barnaby stepped forward and grabbed the arm trapped Kotetsu, roughly shoving it away. “Don't touch him.”

“...” Antonio raised an eyebrow. “Kotetsu and I have always been rough with each other. Geez. Back off.”

Barnaby just kept glaring, and before they could come to blows, Kotetsu stepped between them and spoke up. “THAT MAN is Perry. He is the one who changed me from a tiger to a human and you should be grateful to him for doing so.”

Antonio tore his eyes away from Barnaby to focus on Perry. His anger seemed to fade just a little. “Ah...I didn't realize...thanks for changing him back.”

Perry was clearly not expecting that and just nodded. 

“...Could you turn me into a real bison?”

“Antonio!” Kotetsu groaned and slapped his own forehead. What kind of a greeting was that? ...A typical one, he supposed, but it still annoyed him. 

“I...don't know,” Perry responded. “Who is this man?”

“This is my best friend, Antonio,” Kotetsu answered. “We went to school together and we've known each other for a long time.” As he said that, Barnaby took his arm, linking them together. Someone was feeling possessive, and Kotetsu couldn't help but kind of like that. 

“I see.” Perry relaxed a little. “Where are we headed...”

“Our room,” Kotetsu answered, and Antonio shook his head. 

“There's four of us and my room is larger. Let's go there.”

“...Fine,” Kotetsu answered. “Lead the way.”

Antonio nodded and walked in front of them. They all headed back the way they came, until they reached the elevators. They took it up to the top floor – which made sense if Antonio had the treehouse room. It was the only room up there and when they opened the door, Kotetsu saw it was indeed massive, with one large bed and then two bunk beds. There was a little bar area in it, along with a kitchenette, a couch, and a lot of plants. They were probably almost all fake but they sure looked nice. 

Antonio sat down on the edge of the big bed, which had a big green blanket and had brown pillows. “So...was there a point to leaving? I mean, no offense to your friend, but was he in trouble?”

Barnaby still stood linked to Kotetsu and he pressed closer to him. “He was not, but we needed to go there, so back the hell off.”

“Bunny!” Kotetsu hushed him. 

“Look, it's a legitimate question,” Antonio said, crossing his arms. “You two went out there and risked your lives and other lives and went across town and made us freak out – was there a point?” he repeated. 

“I was perfectly fine.” Perry paced, not looking like he had any intention of getting comfortable. “But they were not. I do believe this did them more good than it did me, does that count as pointless?”

“I suppose not, but I still wish they hadn't done it,” Antonio said. 

Barnaby was shooting Perry an appreciative look. That time on the couch was probably soothing to him, as odd as that sounded. He had needed somewhere with a good and solid memory. 

Kotetsu shrugged. “Well, good or not we did it already. Hey, Antonio....why don't you show Perry the video of Maverick and the robot?” he asked.

Antonio blinked. “Um, I'm not sure I'm really supposed to be showing that to other people...it's dangerous and I am not sure if we can trust-”

“Don't finish that line.” Kotetsu's gaze hardened as he watched Antonio shift uncomfortably. “He is perfectly trustworthy.”

“And potentially, I could help.” Perry walked toward Antonio. “I would prefer to help at least because otherwise I am not sure what I am doing here. My home was not in danger as we feared it might be, though those men still didn't seem safe.”

Kotetsu had a fleeting thought of the staff who was sent actually being members of Ouroboros. No, no one on HeroTV worked for those people, right? ...Just Maverick.

Yea. Just Maaverick.

“They were harmless. Buncha idiots at times,” Antonio said, drawing out his cell phone. “Anyway, yea, I'll show him I suppose, but listen you guys if this brings us any additional trouble...!”

“Uh huh you'll be pissed,” Barnaby said snidely and Kotetsu frowned at him. He didn't like him being so rude to Antonio even if he still didn't click with him. He'd been distant, but not a dick when they'd spent time with Antonio the night before and the night of the explosion, so the attitude right at that moment was just not impressive to him.

He knew a lot of it was due to stress, though.

Kotetsu said nothing else, leading Barnaby to the couch and sitting down with him as Antonio got to his feet and showed Perry the video on his phone. Perry studied it, his face blank the whole time. 

“Kotetsu, I'm restless,” Barnaby said quietly as the others were preoccupied.

“I know, Bunny.”

“I mean I've very restless. I can't spend another night sleeping here without any idea of what we're going to do next. I want to do something now. Can't we call someone...?”

“Who would you have us call?” 

“Agnes...the mayor...” 

Kotetsu shook his head. “I don't think they're in a position to help us go out and be heroes right now. Agnes is just a director, and even she knows she has to be careful what she shows. If she sends us out and it makes everything worse, HeroTV will have a bad reputation.”

“Worse than it does now?” Barnaby asked, disbelief in his voice.

HeroTV had dropped in approval, but it had been making it's way back up. The reason it dropped was obvious – Maverick being a mob boss was not a good look. But as people realized HeroTV didn't support Maverick either and continued to fight against the manipulative bastard, their support returned. 

They would kill off all that for sure if they went out and caused a disaster and Kotetsu was sure that's what would happen. It wasn't that he cared for the show's ratings, but he knew people accepted NEXTs more because of it. He couldn't take that away from people. 

“And the mayor...” Barnaby prompted him. 

“He rarely seems to know what's going on.” 

“Kotetsu...”

“It's true! Damn, Maverick has made more than a few decisions for him...which was probably for Ouroboros...I wonder if he routinely fucks with the mayor's mind?”

“Maybe not, if the mayor is as gullible as he seems.”

“You think he's a bit of an idiot too?”

Barnaby nodded, and then cracked a little smile. “I think a lot of people do...”

Kotetsu smiled too, and they looked at each other for a few minutes before they heard a loud comment from Perry: “I know where this place is!”

Kotetsu jumped to his feet, Antonio looked at Perry, and Perry just stared at the cell phone with his eyes open wide. He even pointed at it. “I know that place...I had to help my brother out once when one of his 'projects' hid out there!” he said, sounding excited.

Barnaby stood up next to Kotetsu. “Can you take us?”

Kotetsu looked at him. “Ah Bu...wait.” Why was he about to get weird about it? He wanted to go too! He wanted to find those robots and Maveric and get answers for everything! “Actually...can you take us?”

“I will not take you.” Perry looked away from the phone. “However – I will certainly tell you where to go. I will even draw you a map. I will not go, that is too dangerous for me.”

“Ah – agreed.” Kotetsu didn't want to put his life in danger if he didn't need to. “Antonio, we can go if we know we can find something big there, right?”

“No.” Antonio glared.

“...Well we're going anyway!” Kotetsu said cheerfully and ignoring his best friend's scowl. 

“No!” Antonio started to march over to him. “What do you hope to achieve!?” he asked Kotetsu. As he neared him Barnaby pressed in close again and that seemed to bother Antonio even more. “Oh come the fuck off it, Kotetsu and I have always slapped each other around and gotten pissed at each other. You don't need to step in like some teenage girl.”

Oh no. “Antonio-” Kotetsu started. 

“I will be as close to him as I damn well please you oaf,” Barnaby hissed. “I don't care if you two roughhouse a lot, I don't like it because I don't like seeing him hurt.” His voice was loaded with anger, and Kotetsu was again afraid of them punching each other.

“Well I get tired of seeing him pulled into your little protective bubble as if he can't take care of himself!” Antonio snapped.

“I-” Kotetsu was again interrupted, but by Barnaby.

“I know he can take care of himself! I know he doesn't need me right here, but I will be here regardless because that's what people – that's...that's what I do,” he said, losing some steam.

“Back off, Antonio,” Kotetsu said, no malice in his voice. He was ticked off by both of them in that moment, but a third person getting pissed off wouldn't help anything and Kotetsu wasn't a fan of being angry or showing anger anyway. “Bunny, calm down,” he said turning his head to look at him too. “I don't need to be punched and I don't need to be defended. Both of you cut the shit.” He did say that a little harsher than he meant to, but if it reached them and made them stop, then good.

They definitely did not want to cut the shit and Antonio was opening his damn cow-mouth when Perry spoke up and shit everyone up. “This place is near Big Tree, the amusement park. In fact I think it may be located near the main offices there – yes, actually it is. There are some parts in the video where I could see the exterior of a ride. I would not be surprised if they used some of the amusement park attractions to test these creations out on.”

“Oh great, a place for children and he's got some kind of death-bot there.” Kotetsu didn't like that one bit. The park wasn't open, both because of the gang activity and the time of year. It was hard to run a park like that in all the snow they had out there. “That's just wonderful.”

“Park isn't even open jackass,” Antonio mumbled and Kotetsu felt Barnaby flinch. Yea, he had to get them separated and get them somewhere other than that hotel and change everything overall. 

“OKAY well sounds like we need to go there. So, Perry, if you'll just tiger a pal up I'll be ready to-”

“WHAT!?” It was said loudly and in unison from both Antonio and Barnaby. The two looked at each other and then at Kotetsu.

“No, Kotetsu, you can't!” Barnaby said, clinging tightly to his hand. “You can't go back to that!”

“Yea you idiot! Don't turn back into that!”

Kotetsu wiggled his hand free of Barnaby's grasp and stepped back, watching them both. “Come on, he can also turn me back, I'll be fine! It's just for a short while.”

“No.” Barnaby's voice was firm. “No, you will not do that, I will not allow-”

“You won't 'allow' anything, because you don't get to make orders for me.” Kotetsu felt bad saying that, because he knew it was just Barnaby's way of speaking and he was more worried about him than controlling of what form he took. 

“But why?” Antonio asked and Kotetsu tore his gaze away from Barnaby's pretty little hurt face.   
“It's stronger than his human form.” Perry answered for him. “It's quicker, more powerful, more intimidating – and that's before he even uses his power! This will be safer for him, and it should confuse Ouroboros when they see him out and about. I'm pretty good at staying off the radar...”

“Until this.” Barnaby looked away from Kotetsu. “This might expose you.”

“No, I don't think so.” Perry scratched his chin. “I'm not going, and I am good at keeping out of the eye of the media,” he said.

“But this hotel...it's not really safe,” Barnaby pointed out. “Last night is evidence of that, I mean, I think it was the bartender and he seemed like such a nice person.”

“Then Antonio will stay with him,” Kotetsu suggested.

Antonio looked like he'd been slapped. “Hey...hey! Wait, no! I want to go on this mission, especially as your best friend! Hey come on that's not fair!”

Kotetsu was surprised by Antonio's very hurt reaction. “We're...not going to Big Tree for a day of fun you know.”

“I would still prefer to fight with you guys!” Antonio cried.

Was he jealous? Did he see the bond between Kotetsu and Barnaby when they fought and wish he had someone like that out on a call? Or did he simply want to be involved for the sake of being involved? Antonio wasn't a clingy, needy guy by any means nor was he jealous.

He probably just wanted to help. 

“We need someone we trust to stay here with Perry,” Kotetsu explained, and it really was the truth. He wouldn't leave Perry with just anyone. “Antonio, they tried to get to you for some...reason, but now they know you're onto them. They will be more concerned with us being out, too. ...Please?” he gave Antonio his most pleading look.

Antonio shook his head. “You're unbelievable, thinking that look will work on me.”

“Pleeeeeease?” Kotetsu tried the whiny voice. 

“Kotetsu...”

“Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease!?” He made it higher and whinier and Antonio growled. 

“Stop, that almost hurts my ears. Seriously – argh! Okay, fine, fine! I'll stay and protect him.”

Perry raised a hand. “I'm not sure I need a bodyguard...”

“Well you're getting one. Now, tiger me,” Kotetsu insisted, and he looked at Barnaby but the blonde didn't say anything. He still looked away and Kotetsu felt bad. He didn't mean to be harsh with him. He didn't mean to make him feel bad, but it appeared he did...

Perry put his hand on his lip. “I told you that I still could have issues bringing you back, though. I don't know if you should make this risk.”

“Is it a huge risk?” Kotetsu asked.

“I wouldn't say so, no, but...” Perry looked uncomfortable. 

“Then please, do it. You know how. Please make me a tiger.” Maybe he could have asked for a more dangerous animal. Maybe he could have asked to become an elephant, or a rhino, or a poisonous spider...

Even as he thought about that he realized he'd rather be the tiger. He stepped in front of Perry and braced himself.


	6. A Wild Showdown

There was a helicopter overhead. That was the first thing they noticed as they walked down the road from the hotel. There were people out with cameras, there were cop cars, though they didn't stop – they appeared to be escorting Kotetsu and Barnaby. Antonio probably called them, or maybe Agnes. Kotetsu didn't know.

He did, however, know that the road under his paws was very, very cold. He hadn't thought about his paw pads being so sensitive. Overall he was warm even in the cold air thanks to his heavy coat, but if he brushed snow it clung to his fur and started to soak in. 

It was worth it though, for the raw power he felt surging through his body. His muscles seemed to flex with every step, and he picked up sounds and smells that he normally wouldn't. It had been so overwhelming when they first left the hotel that he almost stopped. He couldn't tell things apart at first, but when Barnaby's hand gently touched his shoulder, things fell into place.

Barnaby kept that hand on him as they walked.

Kotetsu looked as he had when the two first met. Perhaps his fur had not grown from him in the same exact pattern, but his hair was back as the spiked kind of mane, his chin still extended, his teeth still just as scary.

He even had green shorts.

He noticed upon transforming, Barnaby had calmed down and had stroked his back. He had even hugged him. The form was familiar and calming to him, which was both a good thing and worrying. He didn't want to have to assume it every now and then just for Barnaby's mental condition. That would not be good...

He could worry about relationship issues another time. He focused on trying not to hiss as he felt the icy cold chills shoot through him with every step. “I want us to hurry up and get there. Do you know a shortcut?”

“Are you okay?” was Barnaby's concerned response. 

“Yea, yea, I'm fine...” He looked around. “These people will be able to follow us and find out where we're going. That's not good. Maverick will have a head's up. 

“Well, what do you suggest?” Barnaby asked, and Kotetsu slowed, headbutting his hip gently. He could feel the hard shape of Barnaby's phone in his pocket. “Call Ben. I know I put him in your phone as a contact.”

“You did?” Barnaby asked in surprise.

“I did. Please call him and tell him to bring a van taxi or something if he can.”

Barnaby nodded and too his phone.

Ten minutes later, a van did show up. It was yellow and white with some black checkers on the side. It stopped very close to them, and immediately cop cars pulled up behind it. Kotetsu was ready to defend Ben and tell the cops he was a good guy, but...but they weren't moving. They didn't seem interested in arresting or challenging him. 

Again, he figured they were there as escorts. Ben had ties to many people, Kotetsu had learned during the whole ordeal. When he was called, Agnes was probably contacted along with certain officials and the police force. People were ready to help them...and Kotetsu just had to hope none of them were members of Ouroboros.

Ben poked his head out the window. “Come in you two! Barnaby, just slide open the door on the side and get your big filthy pet in that way.”

“Hey! Ben, you ass!” Kotetsu shouted at him but Ben had already pulled his head back into the vehicle and started rolling up the window. He shook his head as Barnaby walked ahead of him and slid open the door.

Kotetsu hesitantly got in. There was a small two-seater behind Ben, but behind that, seats had been folded down. Kotetsu was able to crawl in and settle himself down semi comfortably, hidden behind tinted windows. He expected Barnaby to sit down in the actual seat, but he settled himself down with Kotetsu. 

“Where am I taking you two, anyway?” Ben asked before Kotetsu could say anything to Barnaby. 

“Oh. Uh. Big Tree,” Kotetsu replied. 

“....The...amusement park?” Ben asked.

“Uh huh,” Kotetsu answered.

“Are the police with us?” Barnaby asked. He sounded nervous. 

“Yes, they are indeed with us. Don't worry about them. They're going to escort us where we need to go and try to keep the public out of it. We did get a call from Antonio saying you needed help getting where you were going with some relative secrecy, which is why they were deployed when you left.” Ben started to drive a little faster. 

“Okay.” Barnaby sighed and leaned against Kotetsu, sinking into his fur. “I just want to make sure everything is...is...”

“Going okay?” Ben answered.

Barnaby nodded. “Yes.”

Kotetsu nuzzled him fondly, wondering what was ahead for them. What if they got to Big Tree, and Maverick had moved on elsewhere? And the police couldn't keep everyone away, right? If Maverick learned they went to Big Tree and knew they were onto him, he might just decide to make everything worse – the attacks, finding him, everything. 

Kotetsu desperately hoped that would not happen. And unfortunately, hoping was all he could do.

“You know that no one is pleased with you two doing this, right? A lot of effort has been put into keeping you two safe in a secret location, and you just won't stay put.” Ben sounded concerned, but not really mad. 

Kotetsu wondered who he meant by 'no one'. He probably meant Agnes and Lloyds, though as much as Kotetsu hated admitting it even just to himself he knew that he could also mean the citizens of Stern Bild. People could be angry with him and Barnaby for doing their own thing and risking everyone else for it. Kotetsu feared that Barnaby already had that sort of reputation, that he did as he wanted and needed no matter who else it hurt because he didn't care about anyone else.

Folks only believed his fake smile until it was inconvenient to do so. 

“We know,” Barnaby answered. “We need to. It is something that has to happen. We think he may be up to something really awful...”

Kotetsu nodded. “Whatever he's doing will probably go a lot worse, and be a lot more horrible than the small crimes occurring just because we're out. We have to pick our battles, you know? And then means going for this big important one even if it pisses people off...”

“I get it,” Ben commented. “I get it. I have mixed feelings on you to being out and what effects it might have but I understand.”

While Kotetsu was glad for his words...he knew Ben couldn't really understand what they were dealing with. He couldn't understand the way Barnaby's head was at that moment nor the restlessness of being trapped in that room unable to do anything. He didn't know about someone drugging them – did he? Kotetsu was unsure of who Antonio had told. Hopefully he had not told too many people.

Kotetsu sighed and stretched his two furry front legs out. Barnaby cuddled closer to him. They didn't have a very long ride at all but they still might as well get comfortable. Barnaby was starting to curl into a ball against him.

“Don't fall asleep, Bunny,” Kotetsu told him. It was early evening...maybe getting just a couple hours of sleep would have been a good idea. Barnaby said he would not have been able to fall asleep, but Kotetsu knew after some good solid cuddling he likely would have passed right out.

“I won't,” Barnaby said. “I'm just getting comfortable and enjoying your fur...you're even warmer in this form.”

“Oh? I suppose that would make sense.”

“Mmm. I'm not saying I prefer it, or anything, but it is nice to snuggle against.”

Kotetsu chuckled. “I'm very, very happy you don't prefer me like this. I'm only in this form for the power and other physical advantages.”

“Could he have changed me into something?” Barnaby asked, and that made Kotetsu feel nervous.

He was pretty sure Barnaby would not enjoy hearing what Perry had said about the subject. “Oh, probably,” Kotetsu answered, hoping he wouldn't ask too much about it. “I don't know what though.”

“Not a rabbit,” Barnaby grumbled.

Kotetsu smiled his creepy, toothy smile. “No, not a rabbit. But I really don't know what he would make you into. I'm an obvious one, so...”

“You sure are.” Barnaby turned against him to cuddle more efficiently. “I'm scared about seeing Maverick,” he said suddenly, quietly.

“I won't let him near you.”

“You know it won't be like that,” Barnaby said. “I'll go after him the first chance I get. You may even have to stop me, I'm not sure. But I'm afraid I'll remember something or get set off or...or...”

Kotetsu nuzzled him. “Well, even if you get afraid, it's normal in this kind of situation. What he did to you was horrible and traumatic.” Barnaby's words were cause for worry, though. He hadn't forgotten how Barnaby wanted too actually kill the man. 

“I know. I know it's normal, but I don't look forward to it.”

“I will be there. If you feel yourself starting to lose it, touch me, come to me, I will be there and I will help you. Even if we are in a fight, I will do what I can...” Kotetsu swallowed. He didn't think about the concept of defeat that often, but all of the sudden, he couldn't dismiss the worry that gnawed at him. What if Maverick kicked their asses, mentally and physically? He wasn't even worried about himself, but Barnaby...

“You're amazing, Kotetsu.”

“I don't know about that.”

“Just shut up and take the compliment.”

Kotetsu's mouth stayed open, ready to comfort Barnaby more and talk to him, but what should he say? He didn't want to repeat himself and sound like a broken record. So, he obliged and shut right up. 

After ten minutes, the van came to a slow stop. Ben informed them that they were outside the main entrance of Big Tree, and he wasn't sure where they had to go from there. There were a couple of other entrances and exits to the park but that main one was the best one to pull up to and Ben didn't know which buildings they were after. 

They were technically on the outside of the park, but the best way to get to them would be to walk through the place. Barnaby got out of the van first, signaled that it was all clear, and then Kotetsu came out. Aaaand once again, the ground was cold on his paws and he hated it. Oh well. 

He was just relieved the police had done their job and kept people away. Sure, the public probably knew they were there but...no helping that. They'd find out what they could and if needed, in the future they would go about such a mission with much more stealth and less of an announcement, because what they did really wasn't smart. 

In fact, the more Kotetsu thought about it, the more he was painfully aware they really should have done more planning and made a stealth operation out of it. It would have been the better thing to do even if he wasn't sure who they could trust.

Barnaby wouldn't have been able to wait though. 

They entered the park and Ben took off. He had his own things to do for them, like getting more officers and immediately getting things ready should Kotetsu and Barnaby actually find something and need backup. 

The park was so snowy. There had been some plowing along the main pathways inside it, which Kotetsu found odd. Why bother when the park wasn't open? Was it just routine maintenance, done during months where they didn't have to worry about the crowds? He had no idea. He was just grateful that he could walk without having to bound from one pile of snow to another. 

They walked by the ferris wheel and by a couple of other rides. They walked by games and food stands shut down for the winter. They got to a fork in the plowed path and turned right upon Barnaby's direction. That led towards some of the main offices and another small exit that let out to some more buildings around the park. Kotetsu wasn't sure what was in them. 

He also stopped a few steps down that right path. He smelled...he smelled a lot of...oil. He smelled machinery. It was not the smell of a park that had been shut down for a few weeks at that point. He didn't like the smell and he didn't like the sense he was getting. 

“Ah...I don't like this.” He lifted one foot, but his animal instincts said no, don't go that way, it was not good for him. 

Barnaby stopped a few feet ahead of him and turned. “Kotetsu?”

“I smell some scents I really shouldn't smell. I don't like it. It smells like oil.”

Barnaby nodded. “But we're in the right place then, if it smells like that. If he's out here putting together androids or some kind of weapon, it should smell like that.”

“I didn't say we were going the wrong way,” Kotetsu grumbled and started moving forward again. “I just said I didn't like it...this...it feels...it's unnatural and unsettling.”

“That's the animal in you, I suppose,” Barnaby said. He sounded a touch anxious and his hand found Kotetsu's shoulder again as they walked. “I hope you don't have to remain like this too long.”

“Me too...” He wasn't going to be in it for weeks like he had before but Kotetsu was finding that Perry's fears weren't without reason. He could still feel the tiger wanting to take over. Maybe it was because he went into it voluntarily that time, if that made any sense.

He tried hard not to think about it as they walked. They went by a little cafe in the park, then past a kiddy ride, and then there were some signs that said staff only pointing towards the offices. That was right where the plowed path led, so they went that way.

It was a relief of sorts. The empty amusement park, with no sound and just cold dead air, was a bit unsettling for him. 

They went past the offices, to the exit, a door in the fence that bordered that area of the park. Kotetsu was afraid it would be locked, but he gave it a gentle push and it opened right up. So, he and Barnaby went through it.

They found themselves at the step of a building that looked to be ten stories tall, and the sign in front advertised it as some sort of assembly plant for...something...the sign was half buried in snow. His guess was it made parts that were used in the park. The doors in the front were glass, with wide glass windows across the front as well and he could see a comfortable looking lobby inside. There were some plants and couches, and the entire place looked just as normal as could be. 

Kotetsu turned around and he could see some rides behind them. Part of the park extending around the side of the building and away from the offices had some attractions. Those must have been what Perry recognized when he looked at the video. 

“We're in the right place,” he said and Barnaby just nodded as they approached the doors. 

A voice from the speaker next to the door made them both startle.

“I was wondering when you two would get here,” came Maverick's slimy, sleazy voice. Kotetsu wanted to bite the speaker. Barnaby looked ready to smash it to pieces, but they just stared at the speaker and waited for it to continue, which it did. “What are you waiting for? The door's unlocked, come in and get on the elevator. Don't worry about which floor.”

They kept staring, but after that Maverick said no more and with a small growl, Barnaby tested the door. It opened easily and it was clear Maverick was just sitting back and waiting for them to come to his trap. Kotetsu's fur stood on edge again. He was so nervous.

They had no choice. 

In they went, and Kotetsu gave one of the big tan couches a longing look. He wanted to lay down on one, get comfortable, and sleep...being out in the cold like that and going into a warm building – and it was actually bordering on hot – kind of took him out of it. Could he really deal with Maverick in that state?

They got onto cargo elevator so that Kotetsu could fit comfortably. As soon as the door closed, it started to move without them selecting a floor. “Where do you think he's taking us?” Kotetsu asked, staring at the display above the door that showed how many floors they were going up. 

“Uh, I'm, I don't know.”

Kotetsu glanced at Barnaby – the poor guy was shaking. He could see that. He was shaking like a leaf, and it made him look defenseless. Kotetsu immediately fell stupid. “Bunny,” he said, and he hissed at himself under his breath. “Bunny, look at you, we should have called for our transport instead and gotten you a suit.”

Barnaby shook his head. “No, that would have been too big a deal, too obvious for anyone who didn't know we were out in the immediate area. The whole city would have known a lot sooner if they saw our transport.”

“Yes but...but look at you! You look terrified, you look...I'm worried about you,” Kotetsu said honestly, and he softly nuzzled Barnaby's chest. He feel hear his heartbeat. His heart was racing and Kotetsu really wished he could do something for him. “Pet me,” he said.

“Huh!? Kotetsu...”

“Just do it,” he said, and after a second he felt Barnaby's trembling hand touch the top of his head. He pet him slowly at first, then turned it more into stroking, running his fur through his fingers, thumbing it, carefully touching him. 

It may not have made him feel instantly safe, but Kotetsu could feel the panic subsiding just a little bit due to the repetitive motion. He was purring, rumbling against Barnaby and felt sure that was one reason his heart began to calm down. Animals were good for relieving anxiety and though he was just a human trapped in an animal's body, he was happy he was still able to be calming for Barnaby. He knew it was the animal part of him too, and not the fact that he was Barnaby's lover.

When he was human, he'd use different tactics to help him relax.

They reached the top floor and with a ding, the door opened. Kotetsu stepped away from Barnaby. They looked at each other, both swallowed, and walked out of the elevator at the same time.

The floor they were on did not look even half as inviting as the lobby had. 

They came into what looked like an old factory interior, minus a dusty floor and unused machines. Kotetsu's sensitive nose was thankful for that. While it looked old, with creaky old pipe running along the ceiling and tubes and wires here and there, the technology in it was certainly not old. There were a number of computers hanging around along with one big screen ahead of them at nearly the opposite end of the room. There was a control panel in front of it. 

On both sides of that there were what could only be described as capsules, sleek and a metallic red color with what were obviously gray doors. Kotetsu wasn't sure he wanted to know what was in them – robots? NEXTs? Dead people? Clones of Maverick?

Speaking of Maverick...

He didn't see him right away, but after a minute of taking it all in Kotetsu's eyes landed on a stairway on the right side that led up to a fenced platform that overlooked the area. There stood Maverick next to another man who looked his age. The other man was a little creepy, with his strange white hair and red nose, wearing that lab coat as if he was up to something not so nice. He was grinning.

Maverick was not. “You made it, and I see you are back in the form I last saw you in,” he said slowly, and Kotetsu looked at Barnaby.

Barnaby had tensed up, he was ready to launch, ready to kill. He leaned forward and was obviously ready to kick off and take Maverick down. Yet...he remained still, eyes cold and calculating as he surveyed the scene before him. 

Kotetsu turned his attention back to Maverick. “So, have you started attacking the city again since we're here?”

“On the contrary,” Maverick said, coming down the stairs. “Since you're here, I've pulled back. There's no need for violence right now. Not at this moment.”

“Oh? What do you plan to do then? Just continue holding the city hostage?”

Maverick shook his head. “No, I don't plan to do that either. What do I gain from that? People scared to do anything? If I had wanted that, I could have had it years and years ago.”

Kotetsu's ears went back. “Wonderful,” he growled. “How about you tell us what your goal is, then?”

“I think not.” Maverick snapped his fingers and one of the capsules opened to reveal the robot they'd seen in the video, or one like it. “Right now, I'd just like you to meet my newest creation, the H-01.”

Barnaby flinched. “You stole that,” he said in a quiet voice.

Maverick shrugged. “Maybe you see it that way.” He motioned at the grinning man standing above him. “Rotwang used to work for your parents, and he had a hand in studying and developing technology with them. Do not be so naïve that you assume they did everything they did on their own, without a team of people who contributed like Rotwang. He shared his knowledge with me. I stole nothing.”

There was no smile on Maverick's face. He stood at the bottom of the stairs talking matter-of-factly as if he was correct and they were ridiculous just to be there. Everything he said and did felt so...so insulting, and at the same time, there was some truth to what he had just said.

Kotetsu hated that man.

But he stayed quiet, hoping maybe by being cooperative that they could get more out of him somehow. 

“So you killed my parents, manipulated HeroTV, and now we've come to this – why!?” Barnaby asked, shaking as he held back. “What's the point to all of this? Why have you caused so much trouble? It makes no sense!”

“I am getting this city back, and I do not need to do it by attacking more people, or blowing anymore up. A few scares is all people in this rotten city need,” Maverick said, practically spitting out his words. Why did he want control of Stern Bild if he seemed to despise it? 

“This city was never yours,” Kotetsu said, and Maverick snapped back immediately.

“This city has been mine for years,” he hissed, walking toward Kotetsu and Barnaby. “And it will stay mine. But I've had enough of you pesky heroes, doing nothing but getting in the way and coming after me – ME, the one who helped you all get where you are!”

 

“By setting up crimes and hurting people!” Kotetsu yelled.

“Like my parents!” Barnaby yelled as well, paused, and then he screamed. Then he snapped and he lost it and he flew at Maverick, who had stopped approaching them. Barnaby's leg was out, ready to smash in Maverick's face and really mess him up.

Kotetsu flew after him to stop him, and what happened next was more than a little strange. Kotetsu connected with something hard and metal and painful as it launched in front of him and took down Barnaby. They all landed in a heap on the ground, Barnaby slamming down hard under the thing and Kotetsu knocked his jaw hard against what he had landed on, loosening a tooth and tasting blood.

Before he had a chance to assess the situation, he was thrown back violently and hit the ground hard. If he'd been human he would have broken something for sure. Barnaby was screaming and kicking at whatever it was, and it was dodging him skillfully.

Kotetsu saw it then – it was that robot. It had defended Maverick.

As Barnaby kicked at it, Kotetsu saw rockets blast to life at it's feet, and it zipped into the air, high and away from Barnaby. Kotetsu took that as a chance to get to Barnaby, to grab him and calm him down so they could figure things out more. He managed to wrap both his forelegs around Barnaby's mid-section, Barnaby's sudden posture telling him he was about to activate his powers – not yet not yet!

They couldn't just waste it yet!

“Kotetsu stop!” Barnaby pushed at him, and then smacked him in the head. Kotetsu let out a surprised snark and Barnaby stopped his actions right away, hand raised again. He froze and looked down at Kotetsu, who looked up at him. 

Kotetsu tried to avoid tasting the blood in his mouth even if it was to no avail. “Calm. Down.” 

“But I-”

Kotetsu looked away from Barnaby as he tried to speak and looked at Maverick. He didn't let go, though, not wanting Barnaby to freak out again as he knew he would. Kotetsu eyed Maverick, who had a damn smug look on his face. 

Maverick finally smiled, an ugly thing. “Did you see what the H-01 did?”

“Eh...” Kotetsu blanked. 

“It protected me. It saved me. Like a hero, but not as week, and not hesitant to take out the danger. These will be the protectors of Stern Bild...the new 'heroes'.”

“That you can control!” Barnaby's eyes burned into Maverick's for a split second.

Maverick nodded. “Exactly.”

The word was just out of his mouth when the creepy fellow, Rotwang, yelled something. “Can we do it now!?” he asked, sounding way too eager for Kotetsu's liking. Even Barnaby was looking up at Rotwang, anger radiating off his body as Kotetsu continued to hold him still. 

“No.” Maverick didn't look at Rotwang. “No, I'll offer these two a chance.”

Rotwang sighed, clearly annoyed. “Well they won't take it. Disgusting NEXTs – er, except for you, sir.” 

Maverick glanced at Rotwang then. Kotetsu could tell a lot from that glance. He could tell that Rotwang probably wouldn't live past another few days, and that made him shudder. Maverick needed to be...stopped. Obviously.

“What're you on about?” Kotetsu asked, and he slowly let go of Barnaby, who seemed to be calming down somewhat if only because he was curious. Kotetsu knew he was still boiling with rage on the inside. 

“Join me,” Maverick said simply. “You can keep doing the right thing. You can be the human team among the H-01 army. You can lead with keeping peace here, you can help people that androids cannot help because you have a concept of morals, of emotion. It's not necessary to me, but you can avoid a lot of hassle and I'll let everything go back to the way it was.”

“Uh...” While it was tempting, in a way, it was ridiculous. How dumb and easily manipulated did Maverick thing they were? The fur still stood up on his back – Kotetsu wanted to take a swipe at him.

“Otherwise, you fall into a category of NEXTs I need to thin out, you see. We've put a lot of effort into trying to engineer the NEXTs we'd like to see, and who would be the least dangerous to the city and the H-01 model...unfortunately, we can't have you sticking around.”

“We will never join you,” Barnaby snapped. “I would not work with the man who killed my parents – how can you think for even a fucking second that we would be on your side!?”

“I didn't think you would, really,” Maverick replied. 

“Then why ask? Why not kill us? Why chase us here and put people through all this and not just kill us?” Kotetsu asked.

Maverick offered a very nasty smile. “Punishment. For you, for everyone who has seen all I have done for the city and spit on it. And to show you – to show you life if you continued to oppose me, continued to try and take me out....if you didn't come to me.”

“To punish us...” Kotetsu felt angry...and then he felt sad. “All you've put Bunny through. You've punished him for finding out YOU killed his parents. Why? Why did you drug us? Why did you do all this to him? “

Barnaby looked at Kotetsu, shocked, and his cheeks reddened. He was not happy to be brought into the discussion so personally. “It doesn't matter – Kotetsu!”

“That was...regrettable.” Maverick didn't look like he regretted it, not one bit. “I never meant for him to find out. I never meant for anyone to find out. But it happened, and Barnaby is not my child, nor is he really my nephew or any blood related to me. If he were my son, things would have been much different.”

Kotetsu didn't like the way that sounded, but it didn't matter. He didn't have a chance to voice it before Barnaby launched himself once again with a yell at Maverick. Kotetsu saw Rotwang hit a button on a remote – and then the H-01 came after Barnaby again. 

That time, Kotetsu was ready and he attacked the thing. He activated while he was airborne, hitting the robot hard and taking the hunk of metal down with a crash. He looked up quickly, knowing Barnaby was after Maverick. And he was right – Maverick was down, pinned, Barnaby was blue and he was going to kill him Kotetsu had to stop him he started to launch himself -

Then with a cry of pain Barnaby fell off Maverick and hit the floor next to him. Kotetsu was already charging when he saw it was a second H-01 standing over and protecting Maverick. Kotetsu attacked it and he felt some resistance, but again he took it down. He saw the other one getting back up.

Shit. When they didn't have fragile bones to break and skin to scrape, they were a challenge. The one he had just knocked down got right to its feet an launched a punch at Kotetsu, which he easily dodged. He saw Barnaby going after the other one. Why!? Barnaby had no protection at all!

But, he noticed, Barnaby made moves towards Maverick, which made the H-01 go after him, and then Barnaby would dodge. 

He was distracting it, baiting it, because otherwise, that would be two Kotetsu was fighting off, probably. He was feeling stressed by one who dodged easily, and kept trying to hit him. 

Neither Kotetsu nor his android were landing blows, but Kotetsu had a limited run of power. He also would get tired at some point. He couldn't keep it up forever. He didn't know what the H-01 ran on, but chances were it wasn't any sort of fuel that could run out mid-battle there in the top floor of the building. 

He heard Rotwang holler victoriously and wondered why only for a few moments, until he heard the sound of the capsules opening and four more of those death machines stepped out – and headed just for him. 

Oh no.

He was fucked.

One of them had that creepy looking black sword on display, as they had seen in the video. He was going to die. Kotetsu was going to die up there, trying and failing to protect Bunny, who was already looking at him with frightened eyes, at least, for a second before he too had to distract an android again. 

Kotetsu had tried hard. He really had. He'd at least had the chance to experience love again before he died, though he wished, he wished so hard that he had made it out to see his daughter once more. He knew she missed him, wanted him to call, wanted him to visit even if it wasn't something he could safely do.

He wanted to thank Ben, and Perry yet again, and Antonio. He wanted to hold Barnaby again, but he couldn't even do that as he found himself surrounded. 

Maverick had hit his limit with them and wanted to kill them, but even though he could do it with one robot, he chose to show off his power while the freak in the lab coat stood up there cackling and laughing his creepy ass off. 

Barnaby would be killed too, and he didn't get to go with any peace in him. He was still lost, still angry, sad and torn apart and trying so hard to put everything back together and make his life the life he wanted, and it was taken away from him. If he wasn't killed there, he'd be brainwashed again.

Kotetsu hated the world. 

He gazed at Barnaby as the robots approached, two with swords out, three with guns. The sixth kept Barnaby busy. Kotetsu wanted to be ended as he looked at his loved one.

Something had to happen. He had to get out of it. 

The elevator suddenly went 'ding!' and the doors opened wide. Kotetsu wanted to look, but he dared not turn away from Barnaby. He did hear Maverick say “What the....” seconds before the ground shook under his feet and he heard the sound of something charging, something big. 

Something big and dark brown rumbled on scene and absolutely mowed over two of the androids, getting a few feet away and then turning in a half-circle to knock over the other three like freakin' bowling pins. Kotetsu could practically hear the comical sound of pins being knocked down as the tank-like thing charged and took them out. Kotetsu got out of the way, going to take care of the one that was still after Barnaby, though the thing took that out too. Even as one got back to it's feet, he hit it and got...stuck.

Kotetsu, Barnaby, Maverick, and Creepo got a good look then – a huge bull stood before them, one strong looking horn lodged in the faceplate of aN android that was shorting out. The bull was surrounded by a blue glow, his body giving the familiar appearance of hardened, impenetrable skin. 

The bull let out a sound like a roar and tossed his head, in effect tossing away the android which landed in a heap on the floor, twitching and useless, as it seemed to have been jabbed in just the right spot. 

The other ones tried to get out of the way, but the bull whirled and turned, charging another and knocking it down, goring it and trampling the hell out of it. 

“Antonio! Finally you're being useful!” Kotetsu half yelled, half laughed, and jumped after one of the androids as it tried to escape into the air. He grabbed it around the legs and pulled it down for Antonio to go to town on. The thing dropped it's gun which clattered loudly to the floor near Barnaby. 

Barnaby wasted no time in going for it, reaching it just moments before another H-01 model could close it's creepy fake fingers on it. He picked up the gun and held it – not at Maverick, but at Rotwang.

“Bunny!?” Kotetsu yelled, as Antonio reduced the third android to a pile of rubble. Boy was he glad to have a big, monstrous, drooling and crazy-eyed looking bull on his side. And – was that spikes of Antonio's hair going down the bull's neck? He wished he had gotten a better look, but he had to focus on Barnaby.

“SHUT THEM DOWN!” Barnaby screamed at Rotwang who finally stopped looking all smug and looked terrified. He held up his hands and looked to Maverick.

“Do not shut them off,” Maverick said, standing near the stairs. He looked....worried. He actually looked worried!

“But sir...!” Rotwang looked at him, aghast. 

“This is your duty. You will not shut them off.”

Rotwang looked at the gun. He looked at the robots hovering safely out of reach of the bull. They had pulled their guns and Kotetsu knew they could be killed...but Barnaby might shoot Rotwang faster, and he had the remote – at least, Kotetsu assumed that was the master control. 

That is, until he caught it – just a glance. Just a quick glance – Maverick looked at the control panel at the end of the room. Then he looked at Rotwang. Maverick reached to his side, almost agonizingly slowly – and withdrew a gun. 

Barnaby immediately focused his own gun on Maverick, and as soon as he did that Kotetsu saw the robot's guns start charging. Kotetsu took off running, rushing toward that control panel at the end of the room as he heard a gun go off followed by an undignified scream. Rotwang had been shot, and probably killed by Maverick. At least Kotetsu hoped the scream was from Rotwang. He just kept running, kept charging, ready to wreck that control panel, and he could hear the robots coming after him. His glow had died and he was sure Barnaby's had too.

The floor vibrated again and he knew Antonio was behind him, running at full speed to join him. There was a boom and an explosion to his left. Then to his right, and then in front of him, the heat scorching the fur on his face and making him and Antonio detour around the ruined part of the floor. 

And then they were there.

Kotetsu jumped on the control panel while Antonio stampeded it and stabbed it with those horns, breaking it and shooting sparks. Kotetsu hoped they didn't start a fire. Ugly noises came from the panel, screeching and beeping and buzzing as they destroyed it. More shots fired at them, and behind them. Kotetsu avoided one shot perfectly and it hit the screen, knocking it down on top of some wires.

He heard a very angry, very loud buzzing sound and the robots twitched, made funny sounds – and clattered to the floor. They had no lights on them, no movement in them. They were 'dead'. Kotetsu felt triumphant, even as a spark of electricity lashed out at and stung his paw, his fur there burning. It was a disgusting smell and he finally crawled off the control with Antonio.

“...Thanks,” he said, happy to have him there beside him.

“Hey,” the bull said awkwardly, and with much concentration. “I got your back, you know that.”

Kotetsu nodded and grinned, but his happiness was cut short. 

“But who had Barnaby's back?” Maverick asked, and there, trapped under a collapsed robot, was Barnaby. He glared angrily at Maverick, who pointed a gun at Barnaby's face. “Say goodbye, Kotetsu.” Then Maverick looked at Barnaby directly. “I should have shot you then. I would have saved myself so much trouble. 

“No!” Kotetsu yelled, and ran forward, a loud, furious roar coming from-

\- from someone who wasn't him. 

He skidded to a halt as another loud roar sounded again from somewhere behind Barnaby and Maverick, and they both looked up in surprise. 

Kotetsu couldn't say where he came from. Was there a perch in the ceiling? A landing he didn't know about? How long had he been there? Because out of seemingly nowhere, springing from behind them and shining against the dim room was a golden-yellow lion with a crazy spiky mane surrounding his long face. He sprung forward, claws out, mouth open and ready to bite – and took down Maverick.

Maverick shot but he only hit the ceiling as the lion tackled him and closed his sharp teeth on Maverick's neck.

Kotetsu had no idea what to do about that. He had no idea how to handle it. He knew he should stop what looked like a possible death before his eyes, save the man, find out what the hell a lion was doing there. 

As Barnaby stood and Kotetsu and Antonio approached, the lion looked up at them. They all just stared at him as he kept one large paw planted on Maverick's chest and dug his claws in. Then he spoke. “I got this.” 

Kotetsu stared, and then nodded. He jerked with his head toward the elevator and nudged at Barnaby. “Elevator. We're leaving.”

“What!” Barnaby asked in surprise, and Kotetsu grabbed his stained, dirty jacket in his jaws and tugged. “No, Kotetsu we-”

Antonio snorted and stood over both of them, edging forward and nudging them to the elevator. Barnaby's jaw had dropped, but Kotetsu nuzzled him gently, touching his nose to Barnaby's forehead. That helped, a little, and Barnaby sighed. He reached for Kotetsu's shoulder and grabbed his fur, hard. It hurt where it pulled at bruised skin. All of Kotetsu hurt, he realized, and Barnaby was probably banged up something awful too. 

Walking to the elevator hurt. Standing in it hurt. Kotetsu felt like he wanted to just pass out, even though he wouldn't. He felt weird leaving Maverick with a golden lion, even if the lion was obviously on their side. How he knew that...he wasn't sure. Trust between big cats? Maybe. 

He wanted burn cream for his paw. He wanted ice packs all over him. He wanted to lay with Barnaby and lick both their wounds...and maybe hire an attractive lady to brush and obsess over Antonio. 

Which...reminded him.

As the elevator went down, Kotetsu looked at his friend. “You left Perry alone?”

“He urged me to go,” Antonio replied, shifting his weight on his heavy hooves. “He knew he was fine on his own, and we saw the video again...he knew you two would be in trouble. You needed raw power. You needed a tank. You needed me, for once, Kotetsu.”

Barnaby looked at Kotetsu, who blinked as he studied Antonio. “I...”

“That's totally right,” Barnaby said. “He...we both needed you.” Barnaby seemed surprised by his own words. “...Thank you,” he said and swallowed. Those had to be two of the hardest words for him to say. Then he nudged Kotetsu, who got the idea quickly.

He smiled at Antonio and gave him a friendly shove with one big paw. “Hey, you cow, thanks for saving my ass.”

Antonio snorted and carefully stomped a hoof as the elevator reached the ground floor. “Anytime, Kotetsu.”

 

\-------

 

They exited the tower and were immediately loaded onto ambulances. A the paramedics merely touched Barnaby just outside the doors to the building, he freaked out. He struggled and tried to pull away, saying they couldn't just leave when Maverick was still up there, and he started cursing himself for leaving -

Kotetsu placed a paw on his shoulders and made him calm down. To be honest, once they got to the bottom floor, he wondered what he was thinking, leaving Maverick with the lion. What if the lion was on his side? He knew, realistically, the lion was likely someone turned by Finn or Perry and as far as he knew Finn wasn't evil, just careless. Perry had shown he wouldn't turn anyone he wasn't sure of. 

So it had to be someone on their side, but they shouldn't have left such an important man with...with...

“It'll be fine, you two.” Antonio huffed behind them and then butted his big bull nose in between them. “Perry told me he had a friend who had been following things too and might show up.”

“Did he mention he had a mad case of LION?” Kotetsu asked, annoyed. 

“He may have mentioned something about another big cat, yes.”

“And you didn't say anything why?” Kotetsu asked, still annoyed.

“...The first chance we even got to talk was after destroying that control panel, and you expect me to have found time to give you a rundown of any animal types we might run into?”

Kotetsu shut up, silently pouting. Well, he was glad Antonio knew something, even if it was troubling Perry hadn't told him. Maybe that was a good thing – if Kotetsu had known to expect someone else, he knew both he and Barnaby would have had poorer focus, always kind of on alert even for a good guy.

If he was a good guy.

Kotetsu watched some cops go into the building, too tired by then to ask if they were on his side. Antonio assured him they were. Kotetsu remembered Antonio telling him those men who got out of the black car at Perry's were good too, even though Perry seemed sure they weren't. Kotetsu trusted Antonio, though. 

If the wrong men showed up at Perry's, they probably just showed up before the good ones, right?

He wished taking down Maverick solved the problem. 

They tried to load Kotetsu into a different ambulance than Barnaby. Kotetsu refused. Good guys or not, he wasn't riding separately from a man who looked like he was about to have a serious panic attack over the idea of being separated. Kotetsu didn't blame him. He didn't think it would be a good idea for them to travel apart from each other either. 

He did accept some medication to help them both out. Kotetsu's mind wasn't going into the same panicked state Barnaby's was after the whole ordeal, but he did hurt. He hurt absolutely everywhere and wanted to sleep. He felt like he had countless bruises and scrapes, maybe even gashes. If he was bleeding, he wasn't aware.

Barnaby had bled. Barnaby had ugly bruises covering his body. He had scrapes on his face, on his head, his arm, a couple of his fingers were at funny angles, maybe his toes too, and Kotetsu had a feeling from his breathing as they lay there that he could have a broken rib. 

“Idiots!” came a female voice, and Agnes swept into the back of the ambulance Kotetsu and Barnaby had stuffed themselves into even at the expense of moving some of the equipment. She didn't walk in too far, since there was no room. “You should have told us! Blonde idiot could have at least worn his suit!”

“And you could have at least gotten ratings, huh?” Kotetsu asked dryly. 

“That too, but you two could have done a little better! Do you have any idea how pissed off I would be right now if you were dead?”

Kotetsu nodded. “Just a little more pissed than you are right now, but not so mad you couldn't cry.”

She glared at him, looking ready to lunge. “Shut up!”

“Then don't ask me anything. Geez.” Kotetsu looked away, toward Barnaby who had remained silent. Barnaby looked pale and his eyes were half open as he stared at Agnes with dull interest. He'd taken a couple of pills and was probably about to fall asleep. 

The only reason Kotetsu was able to be obnoxious was because the injection they'd given him in place of pills had made him feel a kind of numb. He wasn't tired enough to sleep, though he felt it coming on. 

“Well, you can expect some punishment for this later...” She sighed, and he had a feeling the lecture really just wasn't in her. “You two need to get to the hospital, and I'm going to clean up what has the potential to be a PR disaster.”

“PR? We didn't hurt anyway, we-”

“You don't really know how marketing and advertising and running a show works, do you?” Agnes had already whipped out her phone, looking at a text. “And I have to leave already to talk to someone halfway across town.” 

Kotetsu only had a vague idea of how that stuff worked. He'd done a lot of interviews and such, but he didn't really know everything Agnes did to keep it running. “Alright. Thanks for checking on us, Agnes,” he said honestly. She didn't have to show up in person..probably. 

“Yea, yea, whatever, just get better fast, you got that? Oh, I hope my cab waited,” she said with a groan, turned, and screamed.

Kotetsu tensed up and came forward only to see Antonio standing out there as the bull. He was right in front of Agnes. “Hey, you can ride me if you want. I'd like that,” he told her, and Kotetsu swore Antonio was trying to grin as he said that. 

That was the first time Kotetsu had ever seen a woman slap a bull hard in face.

\----

When Kotetsu woke up next, everything was a little blurry. He felt strange, and he was laying on his side. He looked around, noticing he was in a hospital room...or he kind of assumed anyway...and reached out. He couldn't grasp anything and it took a few moments for him to realize he still had paws.

And his paw touched someone's leg. “Bunny?” he said, voice scratchy as he tried to communicate with the person sitting near him. 

“No, Perry,” was the response, and Kotetsu never felt so letdown in his life.

“Where's...Bunny?” he asked, having a tough time. It hurt to talk. 

“He's in a bed a few feet from you. They would have broken the rules and let you two...snuggle...but the doctors didn't feel safe putting him in bed with you in this form,” Perry explained. 

That made sense. “Oh...why am I still a tiger?” 

“I won't change you when you're asleep. Your mind can be in a very bizarre place. Finn did that once and somewhere in the city there's a ferret with six legs.”

Kotetsu would have laughed if it didn't hurt so much. He had been knocked around a lot, but he could heal himself with powers, so why didn't they just let him do that? Oh...he could feel himself getting sleepy again...he did kind of have to be awake to use them, right?

“When you are fully awake, I'll change you back. I already changed back Antonio, and Ryan.”

“Ryan?” Kotetsu asked. He didn't know the name, did he?

“The lion.”

“Ryan the lion.”

“Yes, yes, I know how it sounds. He is my friend that I had visiting, the one who got pissed and stalked off while he was changed. I had a feeling he was watching everything, and he had been following the news on you two closely...he always wanted to be a hero. Guess this was his break.”

“Ah, oh.”

“The director is already talking to him.”

Agnes always was fast. Kotetsu again had to hold back a chuckle. He was glad he ended up trusting the lion fellow, then. “Cool, then. Glad he turned out to be a good guy. And...Maverick?”

“Shot himself as soon as he could move once Ryan got off him.”

Kotetsu hadn't expected that, and his mind was too fuzzy to process that. “He's...dead?”

“Uh-huh. Probably couldn't chance anything getting out and realized he had no other outs.”

Should he be happy? “Is Ouroboros over? Is it all over?”

“There will probably be some retaliation. But no, the gang is huge. It may never be over, Kotetsu, but it may be under control for a while as they figure out things. I don't know their goal without Maverick, but I think a lot of them are trying to go back behind the scenes again,” he said, and it was almost too many words for Kotetsu to take in. He was slipping. He realized he hadn't even looked at Perry...just poked his leg. 

“I'm falling asleep...”

“That's fine. I'll be around until you wake back up.”

“But please...” He had to know. “How's Bunny? Is he okay?”

“Kotetsu, 'okay' is a loaded word.”

“That means...”

“He's recovering. He's not dead, and his injuries will heal. His mind may heal, but it will take time. He's already had nightmares and panic attacks, and shuts down around the nurses. He needs a lot of help, Kotetsu.”

“I'll give it to him.”

“No you won't. An actual psychologist will,” Perry replied. “He needs more than you can give him, no matter how much you love him.”

“I'll help him. I'll still help him. I'll save Bunny, you'll see,” Kotetsu whispered as he started to fall back asleep, noticing he was drooling. It was hard to notice with the fur. “I'll save him and he'll be okay...”

“I know you'll do what you can,” Perry said, his voice sounding far away.

Kotetsu wanted to say it again, that he'd save Barnaby, but he drifted off again.

\-------

“Tea?”

“Yes, please.”

“No, don't get up, I'll bring it to you.”

“Kotetsu, I can walk just fine. It's not my body that hurts.”

“So?” Kotetsu poured some tea in the kitchenette, some in a happy blue snowman mug and some in a green mug with a polar bear. “I want to serve you,” he said, and carried both mugs to the bed. He handed Barnaby the one with the polar bear. 

“I don't need you doing all this for me.”

“I want to.” Kotetsu shrugged. “Just let me, alright?”

“I guess.” Barnaby blew on his tea.

They had been placed back in the first hotel as the city did work on the building that had homed Barnaby's apartment. The building had tilted so badly that it needed to be brought down and destroyed. Barnaby was sad about it, but his things were saved and moved out. Valuables, including Barnaby's toy robot and Kotetsu's green bandana, and most of their clothes were with them in the hotel room. The furniture would be placed in a brand new apartment soon. 

Until then, they had a free luxury stay in a room where they could order finely cooked steak at midnight if they so pleased. It really wasn't bad since they weren't hiding anymore. Kotetsu would have preferred the themed hotel but there was ongoing investigation there and Donny was arrested as a high-ranking member of Ouroboros.

And to think...Kotetsu had liked him.

Activity in the city had died down and more members were arrested. Heroes were working more and things were getting on track. Kotetsu would have liked to be out doing his job too, but Barnaby had been deemed mentally unstable for the time being. It was embarrassing for the blonde. Kotetsu knew that and he also knew Barnaby shouldn't be alone. 

It wasn't like he was babysitting, or even being a caregiver. He was just being there for him as he wanted to. He couldn't face work with Barnaby being like that and he much preferred giving him tea, stroking his cheek and sitting next to him on the bed to being out there in his suit and unable to focus due to worry.

His tail twitched in the sheets. Once he was changed back, he found he kept his features from before. Perry couldn't explain it. Kotetsu didn't mind. He kind of liked his tail and his stripes. His sharp teeth could be a hassle, but whatever. 

He was glad they were both okay. 

Antonio was fine, and they had talked once before Kotetsu and Barnaby moved from the pasty-walled hospital back to the much more welcoming environment. It felt good so nice and warm as the snow came down outside. Ah, Christmas time was there, and that would be another challenge for Barnaby. He'd already given Kotetsu a glare for bringing up putting a little fake tree in the room. 

With his current trauma, Barnaby was going to have a rough month. He'd been put on a few medications, and Kotetsu could tell he felt helpless and didn't like it. 

He sat back on the bed and knocked his mug gently against Barnaby's. “Hey you. Stop looking so down.”

Barnaby looked at him and smiled softly. “I'm trying. It is difficult.”

“What are you thinking about right now?”

“Maverick's...henchman, Rotwang, I am thinking about him working with my parents and taking notes, observing, knowing he was planning to steal, to...to...” Barnaby closed his eyes and took a deep breath. It was followed by a few more, each breath controlled and slow before he relaxed. 

Kotetsu kissed his bare shoulder. “I'm glad you're using some of the basic techniques they talked to you about.”

“Mmm. They don't always help, but that did. But, Kotetsu, I'm not sure 'talking about it' is a good idea right now.”

“Well, I'd still like to know what's on your mind.”

Barnaby nodded slowly. “Understood...I'm also wondering how long until Ryan appears on TV.”

“Yea, they seem to be keeping quiet on him...” Kotetsu talked to Ryan again briefly when he had woken up. He talked to him on the phone, where he heard his voice more clearly. Ryan came off loaded with bravado, way too cocky, and a little self important. However, Kotetsu got the sense that he was a good person and could be counted on when shit hit the fan. He just may be a little unbearable with his bragging...

He had yet to even see a photo of the man. 

“There will be a big showy reveal. Agnes wants to roll out a surprise when we need it most,” Barnaby commented, sipping his tea.

“Sounds like her.” Kotetsu sipped his tea too and turned the television on so they could find a fun movie.

Yea, the world was still a little broken outside. Barnaby had more to cope with than ever, and it made Kotetsu sad to see him so out of it. Barnaby deserved to feel so much better. Kotetsu wished it worked like it did in the movies, that all it took was having someone love you to make all those problems go away. 

But things were more complicated than that. Even in bed with Barnaby keeping warm on a cold night and drinking something tasty after a wonderful relaxing dinner, he knew they had a lot work ahead of them. They had more to deal with than, well, any normal couple. Sometimes, that made him upset. 

Other times...he smiled at a little sound Barnaby made a little sound and moved closer to him. 

If he'd been normal, he would have never met Barnaby.

Screw the complications. There was far more good than bad in their circumstance. Kotetsu was willing to do whatever he had to do to keep it that way and make life even better over time. He would help Barnaby overcome his demons and make sure he felt loved, always.

Happiness was knowing Barnaby felt exactly the same way.


End file.
